Temporal snychrony and patterns in an exotic host-parasitoid community
J D Stark1, R I Vargas2, W A Walsh2
1Department of Entomology, Washington State University, 98371, Puyallup, WA, USA.
Oecologia
|March 18, 2017
Summary
Exotic parasitoids in Hawaii closely track their oriental fruit fly host, showing synchronized activity and abundance. This suggests biological control reassembly can create cohesive ecological communities with limited pest escape opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biological Control
- Insect Ecology
Background:
- Studied an introduced host-parasitoid community in Hawaii's commercial guava agroecosystem.
- All species involved were exotic to Hawaii, assembled through biocontrol efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the extent of systematic covariation among exotic species in an artificial ecosystem.
- To assess the temporal activity and abundance patterns of the oriental fruit fly and its parasitoids.
Main Methods:
- Used knock-down pyrethrin sprays to quantify host (oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis) and parasitoid populations.
- Collected data at hourly intervals to analyze species activity and abundance.
- Examined recolonization rates of sprayed trees by the fruit fly and its parasitoids.
Main Results:
- Parasitoid activity and abundance strongly correlated with their host, Bactrocera dorsalis.
- All four major parasitoid species (Biosteres arisanus, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, Psyttalia incisi, Bi. vandenboschi) covaried synchronously.
- Species correlations exceeded temperature correlations, indicating strong community cohesion.
- Recolonization times varied, with Bi. arisanus rapidly repopulating trees, limiting host escape opportunities.
Conclusions:
- An entirely exotic community, assembled through biocontrol, can exhibit highly coincident temporal covariation patterns.
- The rapid recolonization by parasitoids suggests limited spatial and temporal escape for the oriental fruit fly.
- This highlights the potential for successful integration and cohesive functioning of introduced biological control agents.
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