Linear functional response by two pupal Drosophila parasitoids foraging within single or multiple patch environments

PLoS One. 2017 Aug 22;12(8):e0183525. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183525. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Functional response describes the number of prey or hosts attacked by a predator or parasitoid as a function of prey or host density. Using three different experimental designs, we found a linear functional response by two insect parasitoids (the pteromalid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae and the diapriid Trichopria drosophilae) to their hosts (the drosophilids Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster). A linear function response is considered unusual for insect parasitoids. The first design was a 'fixed time within patch experiment' where individual parasitoids were exposed to a range of host densities for 24 h; the second two designs were a 'variable time functional response' and a 'selective functional response' experiments where individual parasitoids were presented with a range of host patches and allowed to freely select and explore only one patch (variable time) or forage for 24 h (selective). In all experimental designs, the number of hosts parasitized increased linearly until reaching an upper limit. Under the laboratory conditions used, the functional response of P. vindemiae was limited by its egg supply and time (host handling time) whereas T. drosophilae was limited by time only. The linear functional response by both parasitoids likely resulted from a constant attack rate and an incremental foraging strategy where the parasitoids left a poor (low density) host patch or remained in a higher quality host patch when there was successful oviposition and adequate host density.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drosophila / growth & development
  • Drosophila / parasitology*
  • Feeding Behavior*
  • Female
  • Oviposition
  • Pupa / parasitology*
  • Wasps / physiology*

Grants and funding

Funding was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative under Agreement No. 2015-51181-24252, the California Cherry Board, and the University of California's ANR Competitive Grants Program Project No. 15-3726. Gülay Kaçar was supported by a visiting scholar grant from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. Antonio Biondi received funding from the People Programme of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013/ Agreement 318246 and from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (PRIN project GEISCA, 2010CXXHJE_004). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.