Interactions between the egg and larval parasitoids of a gall‐forming midge and their impact on the host

Abstract

Summary1. The gall‐forming midgeRhopalomyia californicawas exposed experimentally to parasitism and predation during only the egg stage, during only the larval stage, during neither stage, or during both stages.2. The combined action of natural enemies that attack during both the egg stage and the larval stage led to the lowest number of midges and total insects (midges + parasitoids) in the next generation, and the highest percentage parasitism.3. The larval parasitoid killed a large fraction of hosts without producing new parasitoid offspring, while there is some indication that the egg parasitoid on its own tended to produce the most parasitoid offspring. The contrasting implications of host mortality versus parasitoid production for biological control are discussed.4. Exposure to larval parasitoids resulted in a reduction in the number of egg parasitoid offspring produced, but exposure to the egg parasitoid did not affect the number of larval parasitoid offspring produced significantly.