Flowers and fruits prolong survival of drosophila pupal parasitoids

Abstract

AbstractAdult parasitoids often feed on sugar sources for survival and to fuel energy. Therefore, the provision of sugar sources, such as nectar from flowers, can enhance biological control. We assessed whether Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae and Trichopria drosophilae, two pupal parasitoids of Drosophila spp., can profit from different sugar sources. In a laboratory experiment, we offered honey, cornflower and buckwheat flowers, crushed and Drosophila suzukii‐infested blueberries as well as hosts together with honey. In both parasitoid species, all food sources significantly prolonged the lifespan of females compared to the control. The flowers prolonged the lifespan in both species threefold or fourfold, in P. vindemmiae from a mean of 6 to 28 days, in T. drosophilae from 13 to 49 days. Infested and damaged blueberries also enhanced mean survival in both species. When fed honey, the presence of hosts slightly decreased lifespan in P. vindemmiae and strongly decreased it in T. drosophilae. Our results suggest that the parasitoids can utilize the fruits they encounter during host search. Flowers could enhance their biological control function even further, as long as they do not benefit the pest.