title: Host-habitat location by the parasitoid, Nasonia vitripennis Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae).
abstract: This study investigated the role of odorant cues used during host-habitat location by the generalist parasitoid, Nasonia vitripennis Walker. Nasonia vitripennis is a common parasitoid of Dipteran pupae found in association with decaying carrion. Behavioral assays were used to investigate the host-habitat searching behavior under different scenarios. First, we demonstrated N. vitripennis to be significantly attracted toward odorant cues associated with decaying meat. The biological activity of nine of the volatile molecules constituting the odor of decaying meat was tested on the searching behavior of parasitoid females through two complementary chemoecological approaches: electroantennography (EAG) and olfactometry bioassays. Butanoic acid and butan-1-ol elicited high olfactory responses, but no attraction was induced by these two chemicals. Behavioral assays showed that, among the VOCs tested, methyldisulfanylmethane (DMDS) was the only volatile chemical to induce attraction in N. vitripennis.
authors: Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, University of Liege, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Frederickx
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Dekeirsschieter
authors: Francois J
authors: FJ
authors: Verheggen
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Haubruge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D009812:Odorants; D064367:Olfactometry; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000502:physiology; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D014863:Wasps / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: carrion ecology; electroantennography; forensic entomology; forensic science; host searching behavior; olfactometry; parasitic wasp