Behavioural responses of bethylid parasitoid speci

Authors: Pilar ChiuAlvarado Julio C Rojas

Publish Date: 2010/09/15

Volume: 56, Issue: 1, Pages: 45-53

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Abstract

The bethylid wasps Cephalonomia stephanoderis Betrem and Prorops nasuta Waterston are parasitoids of the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari the most serious insect pest of coffee worldwide Recent studies on the host location behaviour of these parasitoids have shown that females are attracted to volatile compounds released by immature stages and dust/frass of H hampei Also these studies have reported that the locomotory behaviour of parasitoids is influenced by contact chemical cues from host dust/frass In this study we investigated the responses of females of both species to volatiles and contact cues from dust/frass from different sources Volatiles from dust/frass from H hampeiinfested coffee and maize infested with Sitophilus sp were attractive to P nasuta females In contrast C stephanoderis females were only attracted to the volatiles from dust/frass from H hampeiinfested coffee Volatiles from an artificial diet used for rearing H hampei were not attractive to females of both species The effect of methanolic extracts from dust/frass from different sources on the patchsearching time of parasitoids was analysed using the Ethovision software P nasuta females spent more time in the patches treated with extracts of dust/frass from H hampeiinfested berries artificial diet and from maize infested with Sitophilus sp than on patches treated with dry coffee extract or solvent control C stephanoderis females spent more time on patches treated with dust/frass extracts from H hampeiinfested berries and artificial diet than on patches treated with an extract of dust/frass from maize infested with Sitophilus sp an extract of dry coffee and methanol controlWe thank Juan Barrera and Armando Virgen for encouragement during the course of this study and technical assistance respectively We also thank Gabriela PérezLachaud for her helpful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript The English text was corrected by Julian Flavell This study was supported by CONACyT through grant project no 40338Q to JCR and a graduate scholarship to Pilar ChiuAlvarado

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