Comparing different floral resources on the longevity of a parasitic wasp

Abstract

1 The effects of floral resources of several important non-crop host plants of Lygus lineolaris on the longevity of Anaphes iole, one of its natural enemies, was studied. 2 Median longevity of A. iole wasps provisioned with floral resources (Erigeron annuus, Oenothera speciosa, Lamium amplexicaule, and Capsella bursa-pastoris) was in the range 1.27–3.24 days, and did not differ from wasps in the distilled water only control (1.46–2.81 days), but was less than median longevity of wasps provisioned with distilled water + sucrose (5.30–12.46 days). No difference in longevity was observed between gender, although females usually lived slightly longer than males. 3 High-performance anion-exchange chromatography analyses of O. speciosa floral nectar revealed that the major carbohydrate components were sucrose, glucose, and fructose. 4 The results indicate that the floral resources of some non-crop plants that serve as important reproductive hosts for L. lineolaris offer little or no benefit to A. iole.