Temporal variability in host availability alters the outcome of competition between two parasitoid species
Data files
Sep 18, 2024 version files 68.59 KB
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Data_files.zip
65.10 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Variability in the availability of resources through time is a common attribute in trophic interactions, but its effects on the fitness of different consumer species and on interspecific competition between them are not clearly understood. To investigate this, we allowed two parasitoid species, Trichopria drosophilae and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae, to exploit Drosophila host pupae under different temporal variability treatments, either on their own or simultaneously. When tested individually (in the absence of interspecific competition), both parasitoid species had lower fitness when hosts were exposed for a short duration at high density than when exposed for a long duration at low density. When both parasitoid species exploited hosts simultaneously, interspecific competition significantly decreased the number of offspring for both parasitoid species. The outcome of this interspecific competition depended on host temporal variability, with T. drosophilae or P. vindemiae dominating in short and long host exposure treatments, respectively. These results can be explained by the combination of host availability and egg load of female adult parasitoids. When abundant hosts are provided for a short period, the ample mature eggs of the proovigenic T. drosophilae enable them to exploit hosts more efficiently than P. vindemiae, which is synovigenic. However, P. vindemiae is an intrinsically superior competitor and dominates when multiparasitism occurs. Multiparasitism is more frequent when hosts are at low levels relative to the egg load of the parasitoids. Our results clearly demonstrate that resource temporal availability can alter the outcome of competition between consumers with different reproductive traits.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1zcrjdg27
Description of the data and file structure
Files
We have submitted our raw data (Fitness_Data.xlsx, Competition_Data.xlsx, HostHandlingTime_Data.xlsx, OocytesTraits_Data, OvipositionDynamic_Data).
Descriptions
Fitness_Data
- Numbers of parasitoids emerged from host pupae: The number of adults of Trichopria drosophilae or Pachycrepoideus vindemiae emerging when host pupae were exposed to parasitoids separately.
- Numbers of pupae were parasitized by parasitoids: The number of pupae parasitized by Trichopria drosophilae or Pachycrepoideus vindemiae when host pupae were exposed to parasitoids separately.
- Num_Hosts/day: The number of host pupae were exposed to parasitoids per day.
- Days: Day XX when host pupae were exposed to parasitoids.
- Num_T.d: The number of adults of Trichopria drosophilae emerged from host pupae.
- Num_P.v: The number of adults of Pachycrepoideus vindemiae emerged from host pupae.
- 8p/d_1: 8 host pupae were exposed to parasitoids per day, ‘1’ after the horizontal line indicates the first individual, the same for 20p/d_1 and 40p/d_1.
- 20p/d_1: 20 host pupae were exposed to parasitoids per day.
- 40p/d_1: 40 host pupae were exposed to parasitoids per day.
- Num_Pupae_one T.d: The number of host pupae with one Trichopria drosophilae larva
- Num_Pupae_more than one T.d: The number of host pupae with more than one Trichopria drosophilae larva
- Num_Total: The total number of host pupae that were parasitized by parasitoids.
- Num_Pupae_one P.v: The number of host pupae with one Pachycrepoideus vindemiae larva
- Num_Pupae_more than one P.v: The number of host pupae with more than one Trichopria drosophilae larva
Competition_Data
- Numbers of parasitoids emerged from host pupae: The number of adults of Trichopria drosophilae and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae emerged when host pupae were exposed to parasitoids simultaneously.
- Numbers of pupae were parasitized by parasitoids: The number of pupae parasitized by Trichopria drosophilae and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae when host pupae were exposed to parasitoids simultaneously.
- Num_Pupae_T.d and P.v: The number of host pupae with Trichopria drosophilae and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae larva.
The meanings of other variables in Competition_Data are the same as in Fitness_Data.
HostHandingTime_Data
- Individuals: Individual XX of parasitoids.
- Time_s_Drumming: The time that parasitoids spend on drumming a host pupa (s).
- Time_s_Drilling: The time that parasitoids spend on drilling a host pupa (s).
- Time_s_Oviposition: The time that parasitoids spend on injecting an egg into a host pupa (s).
- Time_s_Total: The total time that parasitoids spend on an oviposition bout (s).
OocytesTraits_Data
- Len_mm_Eggs: The length of eggs in ovaries of newly emerged parasitoids (mm).
- Num_Eggs: The number of eggs in the ovaries of newly emerged parasitoids.
OvipositionDynamic_Data
- Num_Wasps: The number of adults of parasitoid wasps emerged from 50 host pupae.
- Num_Eggs_Remain: The number of mature eggs left in the ovaries of parasitoids were dissected 15 days later.
- Num_Total: Lifetime fecundity of an individual parasitoid.