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Bizarre Bugs Final - Insect Predators and Parasitoids
first half of the study guide
29
Science
Undergraduate 3
05/15/2015

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Term
know the difference between predator, parasitoid, and parasite
Definition
predator: kills and consumes a number of prey animals during its life
parasitoid: lives at the expense of another animal (a host) that eventually dies as a result
parasite: lives at the expense of another animal (also a host) but the host does not usually die as a result
Term
which orders are nearly 100% predaceous?
Definition
odonata, mantodea, mantophasmatodea, neuroptera, megaloptera, raphidioptera, mecoptera (adults)
Term
which two orders include a large number of insect parasitoids?
Definition
mostly hymenoptera and diptera (tachinidae)
Term
what are some morphological adaptations for predation?
Definition
eyes, legs, mouthparts, and many others!


one specific ex:
hemiptera-true bugs:
giant water bugs have specialized hairs on the head for prey detection.
Term
what are some predation strategies?
Definition
sit-and-wait predators (larval tiger beetles, ant-lions)

active hunting (lady bugs, lacewing larvae, hunting wasps)

lures - bolitophila (NZ) and arachnocampa (OZ)
Term
predation strategies - active hunting
Definition
active hunting (lady bugs, lacewing larvae, hunting wasps) --
may use random search in combo with cues.
other active hunters use visual, vibrational, and olfactory cues to locate their prey. learning may be involved.
active hunting requires a lot of energy to search for prey, but may reduce the time between prey encounters.
Term
predation strategies - lures
Definition
bolitophila (NZ) and arachnocampa (OZ)
cave dwelling fungus-gnats; aka glow-worms

much less common than sit-and-wait or active search.
Term
predation strategies - optimal foraging
Definition
cost-benefit, in terms of energy:
maximize the difference between benefit and cost
-increase nutrient gain from prey capture
-reduce effort to capture prey
-balance of both

active hunting is most optimal.
Term
morphological adaptations for predation - eyes
Definition
eyes generally large, with good visual acuity (dragonflies and mantids)
often regions of the eye are specialized (larger, flatter ommatidia) for perceiving prey. binocular depth perception enhanced by widely spaced eyes
Term
morphological adaptations for predation - legs
Definition
raptorial forelegs common; legs can have a "basket" configuration in aerial predators
Term
morphological adaptations for predation - mouthparts
Definition
Hemiptera -- stylet-like mandibles, maxillae = "beak"
Neuroptera -- fused maxillae, mandibles
Coleoptera -- scythe-like mandibles in some species
Term
predation strategies - sit-and-wait predators
Definition
larval tiger beetles, ant-lions, ambush bugs

aggressive foraging mimicry (eg flower-mimicking mantids). low energy output, but may take a lot of time until prey is encountered and eaten.
Term
predation strategies - cannibalism
Definition
very common for insect predators to eat conspecifics. can be advantageous in periods of low prey density.
Term
what is most common for predators: oligophagous, polyphagous, or monophagous?
Definition
may be monophagous, but less often.
oligophagy is common
POLYPHAGY ("generalist predator") is V COMMON
Term
oligophagous
Definition
can eat only a few types of food
Term
polyphagous
Definition
able to feed on various kinds of food
Term
monophagous
Definition
eating only one kind of food
Term
what is the most common host spectrum for parasitoids: oligophagous, polyphagous, or monophagous?
Definition
monophagous (very common) or oligophagous (fairly common) both are more common than polyphagous (which is uncommon)

in contrast to predators
Term
discern between ectoparasitoids and endoparasitoids
Definition
endoparasitoids: parasitoid develops inside the host
ectoparasitoids: parasitoid develops outside the host

some start as ecto and then burrow themselves into host to become endo, and vice versa
Term
discern between gregarious and solitary parasitoids
Definition
solitary parasitoid: one parasitoid individual per host
gregarious parasitoud: more than one parasitoid individual per host
Term
which insect life stages may be affected by various parasitoid species?
Definition
larval-pupal parasitoid, egg-larval parasitoid, egg parasitoid
Term
life stages affected - larval-pupal parasitoid
Definition
parasitoid egg laid in/on larval stage of host; adult parasitoid encloses from the pupal stage
Term
life stages affected - egg-larval parasitoid
Definition
egg laid in egg stage of host; adult parasitoid encloses from larval stage of host
Term
life stages affected - egg parasitoid
Definition
parasitoid develops completely inside host egg
Term
what is superparasitism?
Definition
more than one parasitoid of the same species in one host; host cannot sustain all the parasitoids to maturity. uncommon in nature.
Term
what is hyperparasitism?
Definition
a secondary parasitoid develops at the expense of a primary parasitoid; in other words "a parasitoid of a parasitoid"
Term
what is multiparasitism?
Definition
more than one species of parasitoid in/on the same host
Term
know the host immune response to parasitoids
Definition
encapsulation of parasitoid larvae by hemocytes in host blood, killing it.

an evolutionary response in some parasitoids: polydnaviruses, virus particles that suppress the host's immune system
Term
know how the Red Queen hypothesis applies to predator/prey or parasitoid/host systems
Definition
"it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place"

insect predators and their prey are in an ongoing race. to stay in one place they have to keep running. coevolution of predator/prey or host/parasitoid

"for an evolutionary system, continuing development is needed just in order to maintain its fitness relative to the systems it is co-evolving with"
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