Work

Inherent preference restricts host preference switching to a low‐quality host in the generalist parasitoid wasp, Scleroderma guani

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Hymenopterous parasitoids serve as important biocontrol agents, offering a unique opportunity to investigate transgenerational effects in host adaptation. The phenotype and experiences of maternal wasps can influence various traits in their offspring, potentially influencing host-switching dynamics. Here, the inherent host preferences were explored in two colonies of a parasitoid Scleroderma guani, reared on Monochamus alternatus and Saperda populnea beetles respectively. The inherent influence of rearing history and maternal wasp experience on host preference plasticity is further discussed. RESULTS: The Monochamus alternatus-reared colony maintained an inherent preference for Monochamus alternatus while the Saperda populnea-reared colony showed a neutral tendency. These inherent preferences drove inter-colony differences in host preference plasticity, constraining preference shifts toward the lower-quality host Saperda populnea. Subsequently, a host-exchange experiment spanning five generations revealed a fitness-dependent preference shift when Saperda populnea-reared wasps were reared on Monochamus alternatus: the transition to Monochamus alternatus (a higher-quality but more defensive host) was postponed until maternal wasps adapted to host resistance by the fourth generation. CONCLUSION: In this case, Scleroderma guani presented an adaptive host preference shift strategy in consideration of ancestral experiences and fitness, providing insights into how generalist wasps maintain selective host preferences. These findings also have practical implications for optimizing artificial breeding of Scleroderma guani to enhance its efficacy in biocontrol against Monochamus alternatus, the primary vector of pinewood nematode. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Source: Pest Management Science

DOI: 10.1002/ps.70024

Authors: Shiyao Liu, Zhudong Liu, Jianghua Sun

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Hebei University

Language: English

Topic: Animal Behavior and Reproduction

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China

Awards: G5009223078, G5434881759, G5843040596