ISSN:
1573-3297
Keywords:
Leptopilina boulardi
;
parasitoid
;
genetic variability
;
olfactory learning
;
searching behavior
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Psychology
Notes:
Abstract The genetic variability of odor-conditioned probing behavior was investigated in a population of Leptopilina boulardi, a parasitoid of Drosophilalarvae. Ovipositor probing is the final step of host location, leading to the discovery of host larvae. It can be triggered by an odor previously experienced during an oviposition as a result of associative learning. This study was based on the analysis of female probing performance over two generations of isofemale lines (using both mother–daughter regressions and one-way analysis of variance). Individual performances of the conditioned response to the odor were characterized by (1) the latency (i.e., the time elapsed between the onset of the odor delivery and the start of the probing response), (2) the duration of the first probing phase, and (3) the total probing duration. Results suggested that the variability of two characters, the latency and the duration of the first probing phase, were under a genetic control in the studied population. This work is the first contribution to quantify the genetic component of this variability.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1021412916449
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