Abstract
Influence of resource availability on the reproductive and life history parameters of the wasp parasitoid Leptopilina boulardi (Barbotin et al.) was examined. Cohorts of female wasps were exposed to patches containing an excess of appropriately aged larvae of Drosophila simulans (Sturtevant) in one of the three following schedules: (1) continuous-exposure cohort (wasps were continuously exposed to host larvae, being transferred daily to a freshly prepared vial); (2) intermittent-exposure cohort (wasps were presented with host larvae for a 24-h period every third day); (3) limited-exposure cohort (wasps were presented with host larvae daily for 1 h). Females of the continuous-exposure cohort exhibited an early peak and subsequent rapid decline in progeny production followed by a protracted period of postreproductive survival and produced a male-biased sex ratio. Females treated with intermittent and limited exposure schedules showed extended production of female progeny and produced female-biased sex ratios. The limited-exposure cohort was the most successful in terms of the highest production of female offspring, lowest sex ratio, and highest values of R0. The commonly used laboratory technique for estimating parasitoid life history parameters involving continuous exposure to excessive host larvae may lead to inaccurate estimates of reproductive potential and population growth rates.
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