Phototactic Behavior of Scleroderma guani (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) - Parasitoid of Pissodes punctatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Although light trap can be used to control pest populations, they can also kill the natural enemies of pests. Scleroderma guani (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is a parasitoid of a bark-weevil Pissodes punctatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). To understand the phototactic behavior of S. guani, we investigated its diurnal and nocturnal behavior, then examined its phototactic response to nine monochromatic lights and to five intensities of the two most attractive lights. Our results showed that S. guani is most active during the day, while remain still in a dark room or at night. S. guani showed a positive response both to a broad spectrum of monochromatic light and total light (natural light), which implies a broad sensitivity to the light spectrum. S. guani was most sensitive to blue (450 nm) and green (549 nm) lights, suggesting its visual system composed of blue and green receptors. S. guani was least sensitive to ultraviolet (340 nm) light, which may be caused by long-term mass rearing and propagating under artificial conditions. Furthermore, low intensities elicited a positive phototactic response, while high intensities showed a decreased trend under both blue and green lights. Thus, S. guani is a phototactic insect which shows preferences for light in both color and intensity. This study suggests that light trap can only be utilized to control the adult P. punctatus during and after its peak emergence, due to the overlap in the spectral sensitivity of both pest and parasitoid adults.