Behavioral Ecology of Insect Parasitoids From Theoretical Approaches to Field Applications

by Wajnberg, Eric; Bernstein, Carlos; van Alphen, Jacques

• ISBN13: 9781405163477
• ISBN10: 140516347X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-12-26
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Written by a team of leading international specialists, Behavioral Ecology of Insect Parasitoids examines the optimal behaviors that parasitoids exhibit in order to maximize long term offspring production. It is an essential reference for research scientists and students studying these fascinating insects or for anyone involved in using parasitoids in biological control programs. Reviews topical issues, including cutting edge research on parasitoid decision making and the implications for biological control Explores applications in other fields, provides information on the latest research methods, and includes helpful case studies and statistical tools Creates a deeper understanding of the link between behavioural strategies and host mortality, resulting in more efficient selective pest management programs

Author Biography

Éric Wajnberg is a research scientist on Behavioral Ecology at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Sophia Antipolis, France. He is a population biologist specializing in population genetics, behavioral ecology, and statistical modeling. He is also an expert in biological control, with more than 20 years experience of working with insect parasitoids.

Carlos Bernstein is a research scientist on Behavioral Ecology at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Villeurbanne, France. He is a parasitoid behavioral ecologist whose main center of interest is to enquire how individual behavior translates into population processes. He leads a multidisciplinary research group that combines theoretical research and mathematical modeling with field and laboratory experimentation.

Jacques van Alphen is a professor of Animal Ecology at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. He is an expert in the behavioral ecology and life-history evolution of parasitoids. His current research is conducted on four host-parasitoid systems at the University of Leiden.

Table of Contents

Contributors	p. vii
Preface	p. xiv
Current issues in behavioral ecology of insect parasitoids	p. 1
Optimal foraging behavior and efficient biological control methods	p. 3
Parasitoid fitness: from a simple idea to an intricate concept	p. 31
Parasitoid foraging and oviposition behavior in the field	p. 51
Behavior influences whether intra-guild predation disrupts herbivore suppression by parasitoids	p. 71
Chemical and behavioral ecology in insect parasitoids: how to behave optimally in a complex odorous environment	p. 92
Parasitoid and host nutritional physiology in behavioral ecology	p. 113
Food-searching in parasitoids: the dilemma of choosing between 'immediate' or future fitness gains	p. 129
Information acquisition, information processing, and patch time allocation in insect parasitoids	p. 172
Competition and asymmetric wars of attrition in insect parasitoids	p. 193
Risk assessment and host exploitation strategies in insect parasitoids	p. 212
Extension of behavioral ecology of insect parasitoids to other fields	p. 229
Multitrophic interactions and parasitoid behavioral ecology	p. 231
Parasitoid sex ratios and biological control	p. 253
Linking foraging and dynamics	p. 292
Linking behavioral ecology to the study of host resistance and parasitoid counter-resistance	p. 315
Methodological issues in behavioral ecology	p. 335
State-dependent problems for parasitoids: case studies and solutions	p. 337
A Bayesian approach to optimal foraging in parasitoids	p. 357
Finding optimal behaviors with genetic algorithms	p. 384
Statistical tools for analyzing data on behavioral ecology of insect parasitoids	p. 402
Index	p. 430
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