著者

KOHNO,Katsuyuki

出版者

Entomological Society of Japan

雑誌

Entomological science

巻号頁・発行日

vol.5, no.3, 2002-09-25

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Phoretic association between the egg parasitoid Protelenomus sp. and the coreid bug Anoplocnemis phasiana was studied on Ishigaki-jima Island, Japan. The egg parasitoids were associated only with adult bugs. The parasitoids were found on 28.7% of female bugs and on 20.0% of male bugs, and there was no significant difference in the frequency between female and male bugs. The mean and maximum numbers of parasitoids on a bug were 1.2 and 24 for female bugs, and 0.6 and 14 for male bugs, respectively. The number of parasitoids attached to a bug sometimes exceeded the number of eggs in a batch of host bugs. The parasitoids exhibited clumped distribution among the bugs. Most parasitoids were found on the hind femora in male bugs, while about half of parasitoids were attached to the antennae in female bugs. The transfer of parasitoids from a male bug to a female bug was observed to occur while the bugs were copulating. Therefore, phoresy on male bugs is not always disadvantageous for the egg parasitoid. Since the bugs change their host plant seasonally, phoresy on male bugs can be advantageous if the bugs are used as vehicles for transportation to distant places according to the host plant changes of the host bugs.