Arthropod Parasitic Behaviour Flashcards
Give examples of parasitic behaviours?
Ectoparasitic blood-feeding, myiasis, social parasitism, parasitioidism and hyperparasitoidism.
What is Myiasis?
Myiasis is the parasitic infestation of the body of a live animal by fly larvae (maggots) which grow inside the host while feeding on its tissue
What proves the nutritional value of blood?
Suckling lice have higher fecundity than chewing lice.
What attracts blood-feeders?
Fatty acids, C02, Octanol, ammonia, phenols in urine, heat, vibrations.
How are ticks adapted to blood feeding?
It produces anti-platelet aggregation to stop clot initiation.
How are Horseflies adapted to blood feeding?
Produce fibrinogen receptor antagonist to stop clot formation.
How are sandflies adapted to blood feeding?
Produce maxadilan peptide which is a vasodilator.
What are parasitoids?
Remain in contact with hosts and eventually kill and consume them.
What are hyperparasitoids?
Parasitoids that attack parasitoids.
What are Semiochemcials?
Kairomones which benefit the receiver and not the producer.
How do parasitoids locate their hosts chemically ?
Use locating cues such as semiochemicals, volatile chemicals (info chemicals) that disperse into the atmosphere.
How do parasitoids locate their hosts photo sensually?
Landmarks, shapes and colours.
How else do parasitoids locate their hosts?
Thermosensory and learned cues.
How might insects fight back against parasitoids?
Parasitoid wasp eggs are encapsulated and neutralised after being coated in melanising cells inside the drosophila larvae..
How do parasitoids fight back against the insects?
Some insects have polyDNA virus in its ovaries, which is released into the host when the wasp oviposits, causes host to produce novel proteins which bind to the parasitoid larva, protecting it from encapsulation.
