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Related Experiment Videos

Gregarious development in alysiine parasitoids evolved through a reduction in larval aggression.

Mayhew1, van Alphen JJ

  • 1Institute of Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, University of Leiden

Animal Behaviour
|November 30, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Siblicide in parasitoid wasps, once evolved, is hard to lose. Experiments show a behavioral shift in larvae of Aphaereta pallipes, not Aphaereta genevensis, may explain the rare loss of siblicide and evolution of gregarious development.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Insect Behavior
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Population genetic models posit that siblicide, once established in parasitoid wasps, is difficult to lose, making transitions to gregarious development rare.
  • Phylogenetic studies indicate gregarious development has evolved multiple times, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary mechanisms of gregarious development in alysiine braconids.
  • To compare oviposition behavior and larval development in two similar Aphaereta species to understand the loss of siblicide.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative laboratory experiments on Aphaereta genevensis and Aphaereta pallipes using Drosophila virilis as a host.
  • Observation of oviposition behavior and larval development, including dissections of superparasitized hosts.

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Main Results:

  • Aphaereta genevensis typically lays single eggs and exhibits siblicide, with only one larva surviving.
  • Aphaereta pallipes frequently lays multiple eggs, and multiple larvae often survive due to a lack of larval aggression.
  • First-instar larvae of A. genevensis kill conspecifics, while A. pallipes larvae do not, suggesting a behavioral change underlies the loss of siblicide.

Conclusions:

  • A simple change in larval behavior, specifically the loss of aggression towards conspecifics, may explain the evolution of gregarious development in Aphaereta.
  • Aphaereta species offer a promising model system for studying the evolution of siblicide and gregariousness.