Comparing different floral resources on the longevity of a parasitic wasp

• Author(s): Hendrix, DL; Williams, L;
• Abstract: 1 The effects of floral resources of several important non-crop host plants of Lygus lineolaris on the longevity of Anaphes iole, one of its natural enemies, was studied. 2 Median longevity of A. iole wasps provisioned with floral resources (Erigeron annuus, Oenothera speciosa, Lamium amplexicaule, and Capsella bursa-pastoris) was in the range 1.27-3.24 days, and did not differ from wasps in the distilled water only control (1.46-2.81 days), but was less than median longevity of wasps provisioned with distilled water + sucrose (5.30-12.46 days). No difference in longevity was observed between gender, although females usually lived slightly longer than males. 3 High-performance anion-exchange chromatography analyses of O. speciosa floral nectar revealed that the major carbohydrate components were sucrose, glucose, and fructose. 4 The results indicate that the floral resources of some non-crop plants that serve as important reproductive hosts for L. lineolaris offer little or no benefit to A. iole.
• Publication Date: Feb 2008
• Journal: Agricultural And Forest Entomology