Eur. J. Entomol. 110 (3): 519-525, 2013 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2013.069

Morphometric indicators for quality assessment in the aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Braconidae: Aphidiinae)

Mohammad AMERI1, Arash RASEKH*,1, J.P. MICHAUD2, Hossein ALLAHYARI3
1 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 Kansas State University, Agricultural Research Center - Hays, 1232 240th Ave, Hays, KS 67601, USA
3 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Body size is a standard criterion of quality control in insect rearing and often assumed to correlate with fitness in parasitoid wasps, but various metrics of body size can be used. The purpose of this study was to determine which morphological feature provides the best correlation with body size and egg load in a thelytokous population of the parasitoid wasp, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall), when reared on Aphis fabae Scopoli under standardized conditions in a growth chamber (21 ± 1°C, 60-70% RH, and 16L : 8D). Candidate metrics included head width, length and width of the pronotum, length and width of the right forewing, and length of the right hind tibia. In the first experiment, correlations were determined between these measurements and overall wasp body length. As head width and hind tibia length emerged as the most suitable proxies for total body length, the next experiment these two variables as proxies for egg load in females reared from different nymphal instars of the host aphid. There was a non-linear relationship between body size and egg load of wasps emerging from hosts parasitized in different nymphal instars. Egg load increased linearly with body size across all host growth stages, but the second nymphal instar was the most suitable stage for parasitism when speed of development was factored in. The results suggest that head width is a suitable morphometric for monitoring quality control in mass-reared cultures of this wasp.

Keywords: Braconidae, Aphidiinae, Lysiphlebus fabarum, Aphis fabae, body size, egg load, mass rearing, quality control

Received: August 12, 2012; Accepted: March 11, 2013; Revised: March 11, 2013; Published: July 11, 2013Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
AMERI, M., RASEKH, A., MICHAUD, J.P., & ALLAHYARI, H. (2013). Morphometric indicators for quality assessment in the aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Braconidae: Aphidiinae). Eur. J. Entomol., 110(3), 519-525. doi: 10.14411/eje.2013.069.
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)

    • Open full article

    References

    1. VAN ALPHEN J. & THUNNISSEN I. 1983: Host selection and sex allocation by Pachycrepoideus vindemiae Rondani (Pteromalidae) as a facultative hyperparasitoid of Asobara tabida Nees (Braconidae; Alysiinae) and Leptopilina heterotoma (Cynipoidea; Eucoilidae). - Neth. J. Zool. 33: 497-514 Go to original source...
    2. AMERI M., RASEKH A., ALLAHYARI H. & MAHI H. 2012a: Comparison of the adult size and pre-adult developmental time of a thelytokous population of the parasitoid wasp Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) at different host growth stages. In: Proceedings of 20th Iranian Plant Protection Congress, 25-28 August, 2012, Shiraz. p. 13
    3. AMERI M., RASEKH A. & ALLAHYARI H. 2012b: An investigation on the effect of host quality and different dietary regimes on longevity of Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall), a thelytokous parasitoid of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli. In: Proceedings of 20th Iranian Plant Protection Congress, 25-28 August, 2012, Shiraz. p. 14
    4. BELSHAW R. & QUICKE D.L.J. 2003: The cytogenetics of thelytoky in a predominantly asexual parasitoid wasp with covert sex. - Genome 46: 170-173 Go to original source...
    5. BEZEMER T.M., HARVEY J.A. & MILLS N.J. 2005: Influence of adult nutrition on the relationship between body size and reproductive parameters in a parasitoid wasp. - Ecol. Entomol. 30: 571-580 Go to original source...
    6. BLACKBURN T. 1991: Evidence for a 'fast-slow' continuum of life-history traits among parasitoid Hymenoptera. - Funct. Ecol. 5: 65-74 Go to original source...
    7. BOURCHIER R., SMITH S. & SONG S. 1993: Host acceptance and parasitoid size as predictors of parasitoid quality for massreared Trichogramma minutum. - Biol. Contr. 3: 135-139 Go to original source...
    8. BRANDL R. & VIDAL S. 1987: Ovipositor length in parasitoids and tentiform leaf mines: adaptations in Eulophids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 32: 351-355 Go to original source...
    9. BURNHAM K.P. & ANDERSON D.R. 2002: Model Selection and Multimodel Inference: A Practical Information-Theoretic Approach. 2nd ed. Springer, New York, 490 pp
    10. CALKINS C. & ASHLEY T. 1989: The impact of poor quality of mass-reared Mediterranean fruit flies on the sterile insect technique used for eradication. - J. Appl. Entomol. 108: 401-408 Go to original source...
    11. CHAU A. & MACKAUER M. 2000: Host-instar selection in the aphid parasitoid Monoctonus paulensis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae): A preference for small pea aphids. - Eur. J. Entomol. 97: 347-354 Go to original source...
    12. GAULD I. & FITTON M. 1987: Sexual dimorphism in Ichneumonidae: A response to Hurlbutt. - Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 31: 291-300 Go to original source...
    13. GAULD I.D. 1988: Evolutionary patterns of host utilization by ichneumonoid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae and Braconidae). - Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 35: 351-377 Go to original source...
    14. GODFRAY H.C.J. 1994: Parasitoids: Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 488 pp
    15. HAGVAR E.B. & HOFSVANG T. 1986: Parasitism by Ephedrus cerasicola (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) developing in different stages of Myzus persicae (Homoptera: Aphididae). - Entomophaga 31: 337-346 Go to original source...
    16. HARVEY J.A. & STRAND M.R. 2002: The developmental strategies of endoparasitoid wasps vary with host feeding ecology. - Ecology 83: 2439-2451 Go to original source...
    17. HARVEY J.A. & VET L.E.M. 1997: Venturia canescens parasitizing Galleria mellonella and Anagasta kuehniella: Differing suitability of two hosts with highly variable growth potential. - Entomol. Exp. Appl. 84: 93-100. Go to original source...
    18. HARVEY J.A., HARVEY I.F. & THOMPSON D.J. 1994: Flexible larval growth allows use of a range of host sizes by a parasitoid wasp. Ecology 75: 1420-1428 Go to original source...
    19. HARVEY J.A., KADASH K. & STRAND M.R. 2000: Differences in larval feeding behavior correlate with altered developmental strategies in two parasitic wasps: implications for the sizefitness hypothesis. - Oikos 88: 621-629 Go to original source...
    20. HURLBUTT B. 1987: Sexual size dimorphism in parasitoid wasps. - Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 30: 63-89 Go to original source...
    21. JERVIS M.A., ELLERS J. & HARVEY J.A. 2008: Resource acquisition, allocation, and utilization in parasitoid reproductive strategies. - Annu. Rev. Entomol. 53: 361-385 Go to original source...
    22. JERVIS M.A., HEIMPEL G.E., FERNS P.N., HARVEY J.A. & KIDD N.A.C. 2001: Life history strategies in parasitoid wasps: a comparative analysis of 'ovigeny'. - J. Anim. Ecol. 70: 442-458 Go to original source...
    23. KOUAME K. & MACKAUER M. 1991: Influence of aphid size, age and behaviour on host choice by the parasitoid wasp Ephedrus californicus: a test of host-size models. - Oecologia 88: 197-203 Go to original source...
    24. VAN LENTEREN 2003: Need for quality control of massproduced biological control agents. In van Lenteren J. (ed.): Quality Control and Production of Biological Control Agents: Theory and Testing Procedures. CABI, London, pp. 1-18
    25. VAN LENTEREN J., HALE A., KLAPWIJK J., VAN SCHELT J. & STEINBERG S. 2003: Guidelines for quality control of commercially produced natural enemies. In van Lenteren J. (ed.): Quality Control and Production of Biological Control Agents: Theory and Testing Procedures. CABI, London, pp. 278-316
    26. LI B. & MILLS N. 2004: The influence of temperature on size as an indicator of host quality for the development of a solitary koinobiont parasitoid. - Entomol. Exp. Appl. 110: 249-256 Go to original source...
    27. MACKAEUR M. & KAMBHAMPATI S. 1989: Parasitism of aphid embryos by Aphidius smithi: some effects of extremely small host size. - Entomol. Exp. Appl. 49: 167-173 Go to original source...
    28. NICOL C.M.Y. & MACKAUER M. 1999: The scaling of body size and mass in a host parasitoid association: Influence of host species and stage. - Entomol. Exp. Appl. 90: 83-92 Go to original source...
    29. O'NEILL K. & SKINNER S. 1990: Ovarian egg size and number in relation to female size in five species of parasitoid wasps. - J. Zool. 220: 115-122 Go to original source...
    30. PAVLIK J. 1993: The size of the female and quality assessment of mass-reared Trichogramma spp. - Entomol. Exp. Appl. 66: 171-177 Go to original source...
    31. PRICE P.W. 1972: Parasitoids utilizing the same host: adaptive nature of differences in the size and form. Ecology 53: 190-195 Go to original source...
    32. RAKHSHANI E., TALEBI A.A., MANZARI S., REZWANI A. & RAKHSHANI H. 2006: An investigation on alfalfa aphids and their parasitoids in different parts of Iran, with a key to the parasitoids (Hemiptera: Aphididae; Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). - J. Entomol. Soc. Iran 25: 1-14
    33. RASEKH A., MICHAUD J.P., ALLAHYARI H. & SABAHI Q. 2010: The foraging behavior of Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall), a thelytokous parasitoid of the black bean aphid in Iran. - J. Insect Behav. 23: 165-179 Go to original source...
    34. RASEKH A., MICHAUD J.P., KHARAZI-PAKDEL A., ALLAHYARI H. & RAKHSHANI E. 2011: Report of a thelytokous population of Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) from Iran. - J. Entomol. Soc. Iran 30: 83-84
    35. ROITBERG B.D., BOIVIN G. & VET L.E.M. 2001: Fitness, parasitoids, and biological control: an opinion. - Can. Entomol. 133: 429-38 Go to original source...
    36. SAGARRA L.A., VINCENT C. & STEWART R.K. 2001: Body size as an indicator of parasitoid quality in male and female Anagyrus kamali (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). - Bull. Entomol. Res. 91: 363-367 Go to original source...
    37. SAMPAIO M.V., BUENO V.H.P. & DE CONTI B.F. 2008: The effect of the quality and size of host aphid species on the biological characteristics of Aphidius colemani (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). - Eur. J. Entomol. 105: 489-494 Go to original source...
    38. SEQUEIRA R. & MACKAUER M. 1992a: Covariance of adult size and development time in the parasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi in relation size of its host, Acyrtosiphon pisum. - Evol. Ecol. 6: 34-44 Go to original source...
    39. SEQUEIRA R. & MACKAUER M. 1992b: Nutritional ecology of an insect host-parasitoid association: the pea aphid-Aphidius ervi system. - Ecology 73: 183-189 Go to original source...
    40. SLANSKY F. JR. 1986: Nutritional ecology of endoparasitic insects and their hosts: an overview. - J. Insect Physiol. 32: 255-261 Go to original source...
    41. SPSS 1998: SPSS 8.0 for Windows. SPSS Inc. Prentice Hall, New Jersey
    42. TALEBI A.A., RAKHSHANI E., FATHIPOUR Y., STARY P. & TOMANOVIC Z. 2009: Aphids and their parasitoids (Hym., Braconidae: Aphidiinae) associated with medicinal plants in Iran. - Am.-Euras. J. Sustain. Agric. 3: 205-219
    43. WALKER A.M. & HOY M.A. 2003: Responses of Lipolexis oregmae (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) to different instars of Toxoptera citricida (Homoptera: Aphididae). - J. Econ. Entomol. 96: 1685-1692 Go to original source...
    44. XU Q., MENG L., LI B. & MILLS N. 2008: Influence of host size variation on the development of a koinobiont aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus ambiguus Haliday (Braconidae, Hymenoptera). - Bull. Entomol. Res. 98: 389-395 Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content