Plant, Host, and Parasite Interactions in the Host Selection Sequence of the Tachinid Lixophaga diatraeae 13

Abstract

Tests conducted in a large field cage demonstrated that the tachinid, Lixophaga diatraeae (Townsend), were attracted to sections of the cage containing sugarcane infested with the larvae of the parasites host, the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis . Within sections of the cage, the parasites were able to distinguish between adjacent infested and uninfested plants. Further testing indicated that interactions between the host and its food plant are the source of attraction to larvipositing females. Larviposition by L. diatraeae on sugarcane stalks was significantly reduced at host feeding sites where larviposition and subsequent parasitization had occurred 24 h previously. This may prevent multiple parasitization of unsuitable hosts, thus conserving maggots.