Factors Affecting Thanatosis in the Braconid Parasitoid Wasp Heterospilus prosopidis
Laboratory of Zoology, Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2021, 12(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12010048
Submission received: 21 December 2020
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Revised: 5 January 2021
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Accepted: 8 January 2021
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Published: 10 January 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Ecology, Diversity and Conservation)
Simple Summary
Thanatosis is an antipredator behavior widely recognized in insects, but our knowledge of this behavior in Hymenoptera is insufficient. We examined the effects of sex, age, temperature, and background color on thanatosis in the parasitoid wasp Heterospilus prosopidis under laboratory conditions, and found that some of these factors have significant effects on thanatosis of this species.
Abstract
Thanatosis, also called death feigning, is often an antipredator behavior. In insects, it has been reported from species of various orders, but knowledge of this behavior in Hymenoptera is insufficient. This study examined the effects of sex, age (0 or 2 days old), temperature (18 or 25 °C), and background color (white, green, or brown) on thanatosis in the braconid parasitoid wasp Heterospilus prosopidis. Thanatosis was more frequent in 0-d-old individuals and in females at 18 °C. The duration of thanatosis was longer in females, but this effect of sex was weaker at 18 °C and in 0-d-old individuals. The background color affected neither the frequency nor duration. These results were compared with reports for other insects and predictions based on the life history of this species, and are discussed from an ecological perspective.
Keywords:
age; background color; death-feigning; sex; temperature; hymenoptera
