Effects of fluorescent dust and protein markers on the foraging behaviour of a whitefly parasitoid, Eretmocerus emiratus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Abstract

AbstractMark‐release‐recapture studies require the application of a taggant to the arthropod under investigation before release at the study site so that recaptured specimens are identifiable. This mark must not affect the dispersal or foraging behaviour of the targeted organism. In this study, groups of Eretmocerus eremicus Rose and Zolnerowich (Hymenoptera: Aleyrodidae), a whitefly parasitoid, were marked externally with fluorescent dust or a liquid protein, or internally with a protein incorporated in their diet. Subsequently, the mark treatments' effects on foraging behaviour were compared with unmarked parasitoids. For the most part, marked specimens behaved similarly to their unmarked counterparts. However, there was an increase in host feeding, probing, and grooming activities exhibited by parasitoids exposed to certain mark treatments.