Feeding activity pattern in a parasitic wasp when foraging in the field

Emmanuel Desouhant (1) , Patrice Lucchetta (2) , David Giron (3) , Carlos Bernstein (1)

1 Evolution, adaptation et comportement
2 LBBE - Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558
3 IRBI - Institut de recherche sur la biologie de l'insecte

Individual decision-making and behavioral plasticity, and hence reproductive success, depend on nutritional state. Despite the importance of food for lifehistory functions, when and how often parasitoids encounter and consume food in natural settings remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed at determining the food intake history of the Venturia canescens parasitoids in field conditions. To fulfill this objective, we compared the nutritional state of lab individuals of known feeding history and of field-released individuals allowed to freely forage under natural conditions. Nutritional state and feeding history were determined by using a combination of physiological parameters based on sugar assays. Field-released wasps were caught during periods starting either 5 or 24 h after release. Our results show that in the field, the wasps search actively for carbohydrate food sources. Our work also indicates that feeding activity of wasps in the field can be better understood by using the combination of key physiological parameters. The adaptive value of the feeding pattern and the relevance of the approach used are discussed.

Mots clés: Nutritional ecology; Release-recapture experiment; Carbohydrates; Venturia canescens

Domaines: Ecologie, Environnement

Emmanuel Desouhant, Patrice Lucchetta, David Giron, Carlos Bernstein. Feeding activity pattern in a parasitic wasp when foraging in the field. Ecological Research, 2010, 25, pp.419-428. ⟨10.1007/s11284-009-0671-9⟩. ⟨hal-00550568⟩