Life history theory predicts that a nontrivial proportion of parasitoids should exhaust
their egg supply during their lifetime. We reviewed the literature on
egg limitation in parasitoids and found partial support for this
prediction. Most of the evidence in support of egg limitation is
indirect and does not constitute absolute proof of egg limitation.
However, a few direct studies in which field-collected parasitoids were
dissected, gave unequivocal evidence of egg limitation. Egg limitation
was detected both in proovigenic species, in which it signals the
attainment of maximum fecundity, and in synovigenic species, where
it is more likely to be temporary than permanent. We demonstrated
substantial egg limitation in the synovigenic parasitoid Aphytis aonidiae.
Although an unknown (and probably large) proportion of egg-limited
individuals was apparently unable to mature eggs for unknown reasons, the
egg load distribution indicated that even those individuals able
to mature eggs could be at risk of becoming egg limited. Thus, egg
limitation in this species can apparently occur through egg depletion or
an inability to mature eggs. We investigated possible correlations
between time of day, time of year, ambient temperature, parasitoid
size, and host density on egg limitation in A. aonidiae. We found a
slight tendency for egg load to drop during the course of the day.
Although we could detect no effect of time of year or of temperature on
egg load, larger parasitoids had higher egg loads than did smaller
ones. Finally, we could detect no effect of host density on egg load.
This result is paradoxical given recent theory predicting increased
egg limitation with increased host availability. We suggest that
already-documented state-dependent behavior in A. aonidiae may partly
explain this unexpected result. Parasitoids may reduce the risk of
egg limitation when the host encounter rate is high by exhibiting
increasingly selective host-use patterns with declining egg load.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Heimpel1998a
%A Heimpel, G.E.
%A Rosenheim, J.A.
%D 1998
%J Biological Control
%K ER; elektronisch limitation;
%N 2
%P 160-168
%T Egg limitation in parasitoids: A review of the evidence and a case study
%V 11
%X Life history theory predicts that a nontrivial proportion of parasitoids should exhaust
their egg supply during their lifetime. We reviewed the literature on
egg limitation in parasitoids and found partial support for this
prediction. Most of the evidence in support of egg limitation is
indirect and does not constitute absolute proof of egg limitation.
However, a few direct studies in which field-collected parasitoids were
dissected, gave unequivocal evidence of egg limitation. Egg limitation
was detected both in proovigenic species, in which it signals the
attainment of maximum fecundity, and in synovigenic species, where
it is more likely to be temporary than permanent. We demonstrated
substantial egg limitation in the synovigenic parasitoid Aphytis aonidiae.
Although an unknown (and probably large) proportion of egg-limited
individuals was apparently unable to mature eggs for unknown reasons, the
egg load distribution indicated that even those individuals able
to mature eggs could be at risk of becoming egg limited. Thus, egg
limitation in this species can apparently occur through egg depletion or
an inability to mature eggs. We investigated possible correlations
between time of day, time of year, ambient temperature, parasitoid
size, and host density on egg limitation in A. aonidiae. We found a
slight tendency for egg load to drop during the course of the day.
Although we could detect no effect of time of year or of temperature on
egg load, larger parasitoids had higher egg loads than did smaller
ones. Finally, we could detect no effect of host density on egg load.
This result is paradoxical given recent theory predicting increased
egg limitation with increased host availability. We suggest that
already-documented state-dependent behavior in A. aonidiae may partly
explain this unexpected result. Parasitoids may reduce the risk of
egg limitation when the host encounter rate is high by exhibiting
increasingly selective host-use patterns with declining egg load.
@article{Heimpel1998a,
abstract = {Life history theory predicts that a nontrivial proportion of parasitoids should exhaust
their egg supply during their lifetime. We reviewed the literature on
egg limitation in parasitoids and found partial support for this
prediction. Most of the evidence in support of egg limitation is
indirect and does not constitute absolute proof of egg limitation.
However, a few direct studies in which field-collected parasitoids were
dissected, gave unequivocal evidence of egg limitation. Egg limitation
was detected both in proovigenic species, in which it signals the
attainment of maximum fecundity, and in synovigenic species, where
it is more likely to be temporary than permanent. We demonstrated
substantial egg limitation in the synovigenic parasitoid Aphytis aonidiae.
Although an unknown (and probably large) proportion of egg-limited
individuals was apparently unable to mature eggs for unknown reasons, the
egg load distribution indicated that even those individuals able
to mature eggs could be at risk of becoming egg limited. Thus, egg
limitation in this species can apparently occur through egg depletion or
an inability to mature eggs. We investigated possible correlations
between time of day, time of year, ambient temperature, parasitoid
size, and host density on egg limitation in A. aonidiae. We found a
slight tendency for egg load to drop during the course of the day.
Although we could detect no effect of time of year or of temperature on
egg load, larger parasitoids had higher egg loads than did smaller
ones. Finally, we could detect no effect of host density on egg load.
This result is paradoxical given recent theory predicting increased
egg limitation with increased host availability. We suggest that
already-documented state-dependent behavior in A. aonidiae may partly
explain this unexpected result. Parasitoids may reduce the risk of
egg limitation when the host encounter rate is high by exhibiting
increasingly selective host-use patterns with declining egg load.},
added-at = {2009-11-04T17:56:40.000+0100},
author = {Heimpel, G.E. and Rosenheim, J.A.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/253789f6ff9eb64cb3a9bb64c1524f7ab/regineschneider},
interhash = {06262c1e8e5a95f0b129a66a9f1954fb},
intrahash = {53789f6ff9eb64cb3a9bb64c1524f7ab},
journal = {Biological Control},
keywords = {ER; elektronisch limitation;},
number = 2,
owner = {oliver},
pages = {160-168},
timestamp = {2009-11-04T17:56:40.000+0100},
title = {Egg limitation in parasitoids: A review of the evidence and a case study},
volume = 11,
year = 1998
}