Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Lay Summary
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (15)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pexton, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Mayhew, P. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Pexton, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Mayhew, P. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Behavioral Ecology Vol. 13 No. 5: 690-695
© 2002 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

Siblicide and life-history evolution in parasitoids

John J. Pexton and Peter J. Mayhew

Department of Biology, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK

Address correspondence to J.J. Pexton. E-mail: jjp100{at}york.ac.uk.

Parasitoid wasps exhibit a stark dichotomy in larval behavior and developmental mode. In gregarious species, siblings developing together tolerate each other; hence more than one individual can successfully complete development. In contrast, solitary species have intolerant larvae that will engage in siblicide, leading to only one individual successfully completing development. Previous theoretical and empirical work has suggested that females from species with intolerant larvae should reduce their relative investment in reproduction. We tested this prediction by measuring investment in survival and reproduction in a pair of sister species from the genus Aphaereta (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). With increasing body size, divergent patterns of investment exist in the two species. Females of the solitary A. genevensis allocate additional resources almost exclusively toward greater fat reserves, resulting in enhanced longevity. Females of the gregarious A. pallipes invest relatively more in reproduction and hence have lower fat reserves, reduced longevity, and greater egg loads than A. genevensis. These differences reflect a trend toward greater investment in survival relative to reproduction in the solitary species, as predicted. We discuss the implications of these findings for the development of sibling rivalry and life-history theory.

Key words: Alysiinae, Callosobruchus, fecundity, optimal investment, parasitoids, resource allocation, trade-offs.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc R Soc BHome page
C. A Hinde and R. M Kilner
Negotiations within the family over the supply of parental care
Proc R Soc B, January 7, 2007; 274(1606): 53 - 60.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc R Soc BHome page
A. D Thorne, J. J Pexton, C. Dytham, and P. J Mayhew
Small body size in an insect shifts development, prior to adult eclosion, towards early reproduction
Proc R Soc B, May 7, 2006; 273(1590): 1099 - 1103.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.