Food foraging in adult parasitoid Cotesia rubecula : how sugar sources contribute to survival and reproduction / by Gitta Siekmann.

Abstract

Examines sugar foraging in the field by adult female parasitoid wasp, Cotesia rubecula (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), to determine its effect on fecundity and lifespan. In the field, the area in which wasps search for sugar is likely to depend on the degree of association of hosts with nectar or honeydew, supporting the hypothesis that sugar encounters in the field happen opportunistically during host foraging activities. The survival gained by sugar feeding my often be severely limited by quality and quantity of sugary food and extrinsic mortality factors such as adverse weather conditions and predation, so the need for food must be studied in relation to a species' adaptation to its environment. Concentrations of sugar sources may distract wasps from host-foraging when the density of hosts is low. This has implications for flower propagation in agro-ecosystems with a view to supporting natural enemies of insect pests.