Publication Date

1-1-2001

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

King, Bethia H.

Degree Name

B.S. (Bachelor of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Abstract

Upon encountering a poor quality host, a female parasitoid may need to disperse in order to find a host suitable for oviposition. The effect of host quality on locomotor activity was examined for females of the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) using a natural host, Calliphora vomitoria. In the first experiment, females were exposed to either poor hosts (freeze-killed and stored at room temperature) or good hosts (fresh) hosts for three hours. Then, their activity was recorded for ten minutes. Females given poor quality hosts were more active than those exposed to good quality hosts. In the second experiment, females were either exposed to good hosts, larval stage hosts, or poor hosts (freeze-killed and kept frozen until used) for three hours. The activity level of these females was also recorded for ten minutes. There was no significant difference among females given good hosts, females given larvae and females given freeze-killed-moist hosts.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

21 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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