Papers in the Biological Sciences
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2001
Citation
Journal of Animal Ecology 70 (2001), pp. 683–691; doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2001.00530.x
Abstract
1. Parasitoids are predicted to spend longer in patches with more hosts, but previous work on Cotesia rubecula (Marshall) has not upheld this prediction. Tests of theoretical predictions may be affected by the definition of patch leaving behavior, which is often ambiguous.
2. In this study whole plants were considered as patches and assumed that wasps move within patches by means of walking or flying. Within-patch and between-patch flights were distinguished based on flight distance. The quality of this classification was tested statistically by examination of log-survivor curves of flight times.
3. Wasps remained longer in patches with higher host densities, which is consistent with predictions of the marginal value theorem (Charnov 1976). Under the assumption that each flight indicates a patch departure, there is no relationship between host density and leaving tendency.
4. Oviposition influences the patch leaving behavior of wasps in a count down fashion (Driessen et al. 1995), as predicted by an optimal foraging model (Tenhumberg, Keller & Possingham 2001).
5. Wasps spend significantly longer in the first patch encountered following release, resulting in an increased rate of superparasitism.
Comments
Copyright © 2001 British Ecological Society; published by Wiley-Blackwell. Used by permission.