Abstract
Abstract. Insects affected by parasitoids can alter their behaviour after infection; however, it is not always obvious whether the changed behaviour increases the fitness of the host or the fitness of the parasitoid. Workers of Bombus terrestris containing an endoparasitoid larva (Diptera: Conopidae) dug into the soil before they died. This digging behaviour resulted in the selection of a protected hibernation site for the parasitoid pupa and represented a selective advantage for the parasitoid, because hibernation in the soil led to larger and heavier adult flies, showing fewer malformations in wings than flies hibernating on the ground. The observed digging behaviour of parasitized bumblebee workers enhanced parasitoid fitness only, while its effects on host fitness were neutral.
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