Frequency and consequences of the collection of already parasitized caterpillars by a potter wasp

Michal Segoli,Miriam Kishinevsky,Tamir Rozenberg,Fengqun Meng,Sarah Leduc,Ishai Hoffmann

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65096-9

Michal Segoli, Miriam Kishinevsky + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65096-9

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Abstract

Maladaptive behaviors reflecting a “bad” choice of habitat or resource have been widely documented; however, their persistence is often difficult to interpret. The potter wasp Delta dimidiatipenne constructs mud cells, in each of which it lays a single egg and places several caterpillars to feed its offspring. Preliminary observations indicated that a portion of these caterpillars were already parasitized and contained the offspring of the gregarious parasitoid Copidosoma primulum. As a result, the offspring of the potter wasp often failed to develop. To characterize the distribution, frequency and consequences of this intriguing phenomenon, we surveyed potter wasp nests throughout the Negev Desert. Evidence for parasitized caterpillars (mummies) was found in ~85% of the sampled sites, in ~20% of previous years’ nest cells and in ~70–80% of the same year’s cells. The survival and pupal mass of the potter wasp offspring were negatively associated with the presence and number of parasitized caterpillars inside the cells. We concluded that the collection of parasitized caterpillars by D. dimidiantipenne is frequent and costly. The persistence of this behavior may result from limited discrimination ability against parasitized prey by female potter wasps, or by their limited ability to exhibit choosiness under field conditions.

Highlights

Maladaptive behaviors reflecting a “bad” choice of habitat or resource have been widely documented; their persistence is often difficult to interpret
We found evidence for parasitized mummies that were partially consumed—indicating that the potter wasp larvae could potentially feed on parasitized caterpillars prior to C. primulum pupation
The collection of parasitized caterpillars by females of the potter wasp D. dimidiatipenne seems maladaptive as females invest time and energy in building and provisioning cells with resources that will not serve their offspring

Summary

Introduction

Maladaptive behaviors reflecting a “bad” choice of habitat or resource have been widely documented; their persistence is often difficult to interpret. Models predict that maladaptive behaviors could persist depending on the portion of individuals in the population exposed to the low quality habitat or resource, the severity of the outcome of exposure, and the ability of the organism to evolve a corrective behavior[15,16,17] On this basis, it can be hypothesized that the interaction between potter wasps and caterpillars parasitized by C. primulum is either not frequent enough or not costly enough (e.g., not always fatal) to induce a strong selection pressure. Constraints may prevent the potter wasps from evolving or exhibiting discrimination against parasitized prey

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