Evol Ecol Res 5: 1251-1261 (2003)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Potential life-history costs of parasitoid avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster

A.R. Kraaijeveld* and H.C.J. Godfray

NERC Centre for Population Biology and Department of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK


e-mail: a.kraayeveld@imperial.ac.uk

ABSTRACT

Pupal parasitoids are a common natural enemy of Drosophila. As Drosophila pupae do not have an immunological defence against pupal parasitoids, they have to avoid being attacked. As a first step to identifying the costs of avoidance of parasitism by pupal parasitoids, we explored three traits that potentially influence the probability of D. melanogaster pupae to survive attack by Pachycrepoideus vindemiae. We found that larvae pupating on the food source had a higher probability of avoiding parasitism, but that the distance that larvae pupate away from the food had no effect on survival probability when exposed to pupal parasitoids. We also found no indication that the thickness of the puparial wall influences risk of parasitism. Pupal size, however, was correlated with the probability of surviving parasitoid attack, with smaller pupae having a higher survival probability. If pupal size is indeed the key trait influencing risk of parasitism of D. melanogaster pupae by P. vindemiae, the potential life-history costs of parasitoid avoidance are smaller adult size, leading to lower general fitness.

Keywords: cost of resistance, Drosophila, life-history evolution, Pachycrepoideus, pupal parasitoid, trade-offs.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2003 Alex R. Kraaijeveld. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.