Are Sequestered Allelochemicals Detriments or Benefits to Wasp and Fly Parasitoids?

寄主植物化学作为植物、植食性动物及其天敌之间相互作用的媒介，是进化生态学的一个重要概念。最近，更高的营养水平（因此捕食）在解释种群动态和植物与昆虫之间的进化关系方面具有重要意义。仍然需要在模型系统中进行严格的测试，以了解三营养相互作用的复杂性，特别是要澄清化学作为不同营养水平之间直接和间接相互作用的介体的作用。该合作项目将研究植物化学物质的螯合如何介导多营养相互作用，特别是对一组未充分研究的天敌，黄蜂和苍蝇寄生虫。含有环烯醚萜苷的植物，三对密切相关的毛虫物种的模型系统-一个物种，在每一对，不螯合环烯醚萜苷-和他们的黄蜂和苍蝇寄生虫将被用来调查的作用，螯合植物化学物质在草食动物寄生虫的相互作用。两组实验室实验将开始研究化学螯合对寄生虫成功的影响。通过将植物提取物涂抹在毛虫宿主植物的叶子上，可以控制毛虫食物的化学成分。更广泛的影响：这将是为数不多的几项研究之一，以研究螯合化学物质对寄生虫成功的作用。研究人员在培训本科生和研究生的所有技术和实验方法中所描述的建议，并将继续积极参与重要的培训计划，如本科生的研究经验（REU），美国生态学会的种子少数民族计划，路易斯安那州少数民族参与联盟，科罗拉多大学的本科生研究机会计划和夏季少数民族获得科学和技术计划，以及富布赖特的LASPAU计划培训来自其他国家的教师。

Host plant chemistry as a mediator of the interactions between plants, herbivores and the natural enemies of those herbivores is a key concept in evolutionary ecology. Recently, higher trophic levels (and therefore predation) have assumed importance in accounting for population dynamics and evolutionary relationships between plants and insects. Rigorous tests in model systems are still needed to understand the intricacies of tritrophic interactions and, in particular, to clarify the role of chemistry as a mediator of direct and indirect interactions between different trophic levels. This collaborative project will examine how the sequestration of plant chemicals mediates multi-trophic interactions with special reference to an understudied group of natural enemies, wasp and fly parasitoids. A model system of plants containing iridoid glycosides, three pairs of closely related caterpillar species - one species in each pair that does and one that does not sequester iridoid glycosides - and their wasp and fly parasitoids will be used to investigate the role of sequestered plant chemicals in herbivore-parasitoid interactions. Two sets of laboratory experiments will be initiated to examine the effects of chemical sequestration on parasitoid success. Chemical content of caterpillar diets will be manipulated by painting plant extracts onto leaves of caterpillar host plants.Broader impacts: This will be one of only a few studies to examine the role of sequestered chemicals on parasitoid success. The investigators have extensive experience training undergraduate and graduate students in all the techniques and experimental methods described in the proposal and will continue their active involvement with important training programs such as Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), the Ecological Society of America's SEEDS program for minorities, the Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation, the University of Colorado's Undergraduate Research Opportunities program and Summer Minority Access to Science and Technology program, and Fulbright's LASPAU program for training faculty from other countries.