Intraguild Predators and the Spatial Distribution of a Parasitoid

• Published in: Oecologia Vol. 124; no. 3; pp. 367 - 372
• Main Authors: Raymond, B., A. C. Darby, Douglas, A. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer-Verlag 23-08-2000; Springer
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aphididae; Aphidiidae; Aphis fabae; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lysiphlebus fabarum; Mummies; Natural enemies; Odors; Parasitism; Parasitoids; Phytophagous insects; Plants; Population Ecology; Predation; Predators; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Trophic relationships; United Kingdom; Europe; Aphis fabae; Predator prey relation; Host parasite relation; Coleoptera; Rumex obtusifolius; Insecta; Guild; Phytophagous; Homoptera; Dicotyledones; Host plant; Angiospermae; Aphididae; Interspecific competition; Selection pressure; Ecological abundance; Aphidoidea; Polygonaceae; Vicia faba; Foraging behavior; Chenopodiaceae; Chenopodium album; Coccinellidae; Parasitoid; Spatial distribution; Leguminosae; Arthropoda; Spermatophyta; Predator; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Competition; Foraging behaviour; Key words Aphid
• ISSN: 0029-8549; 1432-1939
• DOI: 10.1007/s004420000396

An experimental plot of the aphid Aphis fabae on various host plant species was colonized by natural populations of the aphidiine parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum and insect predators, especially coccinellids. Parasitism of A. fabae by L. fabarum was significantly depressed on plants bearing coccinellids. The number of parasitized aphids increased with aphid abundance on three plant species (Papaver dubium, Rumex obtusifolius, Vicia faba), but not on the plant species (Chenopodium album) which bore very high numbers of coccinellids. In complementary laboratory experiments, L. fabarum offered a choice between odours of plants infested with A. fabae and/or coccinellids selected the odour fields from coccinellid treatments at significantly lower frequency than the odour fields of other treatments. It is concluded that avoidance of coccinellids by L. fabarum contributes to the negative association between the abundance of coccinellids and parasitoids in the field.