Patch-Time Allocation by Insect Parasitoids: Superparasitism and Aggregation

Abstract

Following the seminal works of MacArthur and Pianka (1966) and Emlen (1966), many ecologists have explored the foraging behaviour of animals, assuming that natural selection will favour individuals which exploit their resources most efficiently. Female insect parasitoids seek hosts to lay their eggs in or on. The direct link between successful searching and the production of offspring suggests parasitoid searching behaviour to be strongly influenced by natural selection. Therefore, it is an ideal subject for testing optimization hypotheses.