Performance of selected lines of Trichopria drosophilae and of Ganaspis brasiliensis on different fruit
Data files
Oct 16, 2023 version files 21.68 KB
Abstract
A few generations of laboratory selection can increase the developmental success of native parasitoids on invasive targets. However, for this approach to be used more widely for biological control we need to understand if the improved performance of native species, achieved under artificial laboratory conditions, translates to improved control in more natural environments. It is also unknown what the biocontrol potential of laboratory selected generalist native parasitoids may be compared to co-evolved specialists that are typically introduced for biological control of invasive species. To assess how rearing in artificial diet affected host finding ability in natural hosts we used laboratory selected (adapted) and non-adapted populations of the generalist native parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae to parasitize the invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii in three different fruit types. In a separate experiment, we compared the effectiveness of adapted and non-adapted populations of T. drosophilae in raspberries with a co-evolved specialist larval parasitoid Ganaspis brasiliensis from Asia that was recently approved for release in the USA. More adult parasitoids emerged in each fruit type of the adapted compared to the non-adapted population of T. drosophilae. Drosophila suzukii emergence rates were reduced on average by 85% by the adapted T. drosophilae population indicating that the artificial rearing conditions did not significantly impair the ability of parasitoids to locate and attack hosts in natural hosts. The specialist G. brasiliensis had higher adult emergence than the adapted population of T. drosophilae, however, both parasitoid species were able to reduce D. suzukii populations to the same extent. These results show that despite the lower developmental success of the laboratory selected T. drosophilae they killed the same proportion of D. suzukii as G. brasiliensis when host choice was restricted. In nature, where host choices are available specialist and generalist parasitoids will be unlikely to exhibit the same biocontrol potential.
README: Performance of selected lines of Trichopria drosophilae and of Ganaspis brasiliensis on different fruit
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qnk98sfpm
Give a brief summary of dataset contents, contextualized in experimental procedures and results.
Description of the data and file structure
In the first tab data for 'experiment 1' is given. The second tab contains data for 'experiment 2'.
Fruit experiment (first tab)
Column A: the fruit type used
Column B: the parasitoid treatment used
Column C: the number of parasitoid wasps used
Column D: the temporal block the treatments were tested, the two blocks are one week apart
Column E: cage number = replicate; in each cage there was fruit placed on the ground or elevated, hence two lines for each replicate
Column F: ‘up’ refers to fruit elevated and ‘down’ refers to fruit on the ground, for the control treatment no parasitoids were released therefore the position of the fruit during parasitism is not applicable that is noted as 'na' or 'n/a' in the dataset
Column G: the number of spotted wing drosophila emerging
Column H: the number of parasitoid wasps emerging
Plant experiment (second tab)
Column A: the parasitoid treatment used (control – no parasitoids released)
Column B: cage number = replicate; in each cage there was fruit placed on the ground or elevated, hence two lines for each replicate except for the control line where no parasitoids were released
Column C: ‘up’ refers to fruit elevated and ‘down’ refers to fruit on the ground, for the control treatment no parasitoids were released therefore the position of the fruit during parasitism is not applicable that is noted as 'na' or 'n/a' in the dataset
Column D: the number of spotted wing drosophila emerging
Column E: the number of parasitoid wasps emerging
Methods
Collected in the laboratory.