Parasitism Flashcards
What are parasites that kill the host called?
Parasitoids
What is the most common lifestyle in nature?
Parasitism
Insects display Phenominal success, with every order having parasitic representatives.
What are some adaptations for parasitic success **
- Expansive cuticle versatility
- Diverse jointed appendage modifications (legs, mouthparts, ovipositor, holdfast).
- Adaptations for feeding and respiration (enzymes, midgut)
- Complex sensory adaptations to sense host.
- Transmission and reproductive adaptations (to spread)
- Small size, fast regeneration time.
- Complex lifecycle (metamorphosis)
What family and type of parasite are fleas?
What are some adaptations that make them successful
Ectoparasites: order siphonaptera (all parasites)
Adapted wicked comblike holdfasts and blood sucking hypopharynx.
Adapted spring like legs for jumping
What group are lice in?
Phthiraptera (chewing lice)
Modified midgut to digest keratin in feathers and hair
What are the two main ectoparasite orders?
Phthiraptera and Siphonaptera
What is myiasis?
Lethal fly parasitism in mammals (usually by ingestion of innards).
What major families have experienced the greatest adaptive radiation?
Hymenoptera: (Ichneumonidae and Braconidae (Parasitoid wasps))
Diptera: Tachinidae (huge Parasitoid fly family)
What are some universal characteristics of parasitoids?
Locates specific hosts (caterpillars)
Uses adapted ovipositor to lay eggs inside host
Larvae hatch and eat caterpillar from inside. Modify behaviour and physiology dramatically. Kill host
What is behaviour manipulation?
Manipulation of host behaviour to assist biological function of Parasitoid.
What are hyperparasitoids?
Parasitoids of parasitoids
Massive diversity
What is the importance of parasitoids?
- Huge component of biological diversity
- Natural regulators of insect populations – huge ecological significance
- Potential use in biological control of agricultural and forestry insect pests
- Forest tree - insect herbivore - parasitoid interactions focus of considerable research
Does MPB have a Parasitoid?
Yes, two. A braconid wasp (colloides dendroctonae) and a tachinid fly species.
Name the destructive defoliating pest of Douglas fir.
Does it have a Parasitoid?
Silver spotted tiger moth. Look for it in Fd tops.
Tachinid fly Parasitoid (Uramya halistodae)
What is a parasite?
- Lives in or on living host
- causes some degree of harm
- metabolically dependent on host
