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Parasitoids

Parasitoids. Amanda Acton Biology 4800. What is a Parasitoid?. A type of parasite that is attached or lives within its host for a significant portion of its life-cycle A parasite that kills and often consumes its host Parasitoid is usually similar in size to host Adult stage is free living

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Parasitoids

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  1. Parasitoids Amanda Acton Biology 4800

  2. What is a Parasitoid? • A type of parasite that is attached or lives within its host for a significant portion of its life-cycle • A parasite that kills and often consumes its host • Parasitoid is usually similar in size to host • Adult stage is free living • Typically causes alterations in host behaviour

  3. Types of Parasitoids • Idiobiont • Koinobiont • These can be further divided into • Endoparasitoids • Ectoparasitoids

  4. Parasitoid Example • Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga - wasp • Plesiometa argyra - spider • System has been studied in Costa Rica by William G. Eberhard

  5. Webs of Infected Spiders • Create cocoon webs on the night that they are to be killed • Central portion is full • Frame lines shorter and closer to hub • Smaller diameter with shorter and fewer anchor lines

  6. How the Behaviour Changes • Spiders normally break, reel up and replace lines or break and re-attach lines • Spiral and sticky spiral lines are not produced • The central hub portion was always intact • The initial construction changes in the way the web is framed. • Construction occurs in bursts

  7. Why Do These Changes Occur? • Adaption to increase parasite reproduction/survival

  8. Can These Changes be Reversed? • Yes and No • Of 22 spiders that have had larvae removed: • 4 did not make webs that night • 3 made cocoon webs • 1 was a cocoon web with extra hubs • 13 made simple webs full of loose fluff • 1 orb web, but the hub was not removed • No spiders died that night, and as night progress, webs become more orb-like

  9. What Causes Behavioural Changes? • The adult female wasp injecting a product when she oviposits? • The maturing process of the larva on the spider?

  10. Questions?

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