Searching Behavior of the Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) Foraging on Potato Plants

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Abstract
The behavior of Aphidius nigripes Ashmead was studied when searching for its host, the potato aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), in the complex foraging environment of a mature potato plant. The presence of hosts and host honeydew on the foliage was manipulated experimentally to identify determinants of foraging behavior. Parasitoid residence and searching times on a plant were longest with aphids present, but honeydew alone doubled the effect on these parameters compared with clean control plants. In the presence of honeydew, percentage of available leaves searched, time spent per leaf, and leaf surface area covered increased above control values. Parasitoids searched the lower leaf surface with greater intensity than the upper surface; the latter apparently was sampled solely for the presence of honeydew residues. On honeydew-contaminated plants, searching time was allocated preferentially to the upper half of plants where honeydew contamination was abundant, compared with a more evenly distributed search of clean plants. Parasitoids tended to follow horizontal sampling paths on the foliage of clean plants but horizontal and vertical search paths on honeydew-contaminated plants. These observations are discussed with reference to patch definition for aphid parasitoids and the potential for manipulation of aphid parasitoid behavior in pest control.

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