Why resource history matters: age and oviposition history affect oviposition behaviour in exploiters of a mutualism

Yadav, Pratibha and Borges, Renee M (2018) Why resource history matters: age and oviposition history affect oviposition behaviour in exploiters of a mutualism. In: ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, 43 (4). pp. 473-482.

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Abstract

1. Acceptance of hosts for oviposition is often hardwired in short-lived insects, but can be dynamic at the individual level due to variation in physiological state determinants such as ageing and prior oviposition. However, the effect of the oviposition history of resources together with time taken to accept less preferred hosts in ageing insects has rarely been investigated. 2. The time taken by parasitic fig wasps to accept resources with different oviposition histories was recorded in order to investigate the effect of wasp physiological state and resource oviposition history on oviposition behaviour. These wasps, which differ in life-history traits, oviposit at specific developmental stages of enclosed fig inflorescences called syconia. 3. Behavioural assays were performed with naive wasps and wasps aged with and without prior oviposition experience. Syconia at the same developmental stage but differing in oviposition history were offered in no-choice assays and the time taken to first oviposition attempt was recorded. 4. One short-lived pro-ovigenic galler species exhibited a decline with age in time taken to accept a syconium for oviposition. The exact timing of the transition from non-acceptance to acceptance of less preferred syconia was determined in terms of the proportion of elapsed life span at the transition; this occurred at 25% of elapsed life span. 5. Longer-lived parasitoids did not show any decline in specificity despite being aged for 50% of their life span. Therefore, host quality, trophic position, egg load and age may individually affect oviposition decisions or have interaction effects.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
Publisher:	WILEY, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belong to WILEY, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences
Date Deposited:	23 Jul 2018 15:42
Last Modified:	25 Aug 2022 12:03
URI:	https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/60272

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