Abstract
In parasitoid systems, resource competition can significantly impact developmental outcomes. This study investigates how larval competition and host characteristics influence development in the acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea, using the house cricket Acheta domesticus as a host. We experimentally manipulated larval load (1 vs. 2 larvae per host) and recorded host sex and size to assess their effects on pupation and eclosion (adult hatching) success, as well as pupal and adult fly size. While double infestations increased total yield (0.78 vs. 0.54 flies per host), larvae developing without competition exhibited higher relative pupation and eclosion success and produced larger pupae and adult flies, indicating greater individual fitness. Although female host crickets yielded larger pupae, resource competition was the dominant factor shaping developmental outcomes. These results highlight the trade-offs between reproductive yield and offspring fitness driven by resource competition and validate the commercially available A. domesticus as a viable host.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 303-314 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Annals of the Entomological Society of America |
| Volume | 118 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 10 Jul 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Jul 2025 |
Funding
Funding was provided by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant to Norman Lee (IOS 2144831) and support from the St. Olaf Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) Program and the St. Olaf TRIO McNair Program. Brendan Latham was funded by a UK-Canada Globalink Doctoral Exchange Scheme grant from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) council in partnership with Mitacs (Canadian not-for-profit organization). Andrew C. Mason was supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant #2020-05946.
Keywords
- Ormia ochracea
- parasitoid systems
- developmental outcomes
