Provisioning activity of Passaloecus cuspidatus extended from 29 May through 6 August 1987. Eighty trap-nests contained 281 provisioned cells containing 9,618 aphids. The average number of aphids per cell was 34.2 and the average number of cells provisioned per day was 0.73. Passaloecus cuspidatus stored the following aphids as provisions: Cinaria sp., Euceraphis sp., Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Myzus sp., Myzus cerasi, Myzus monardae, and Sitobium avenae. The number of aphids provisioned per cell was inversely related to aphid size. The number of aphids provisioned per cell varied signifI­cantly (9-74)

Fricke, John M

English

Valparaiso University

The Great Lakes Entomologist Volume 26 Number 1 - Spring 1993 Number 1 - Spring 1993 Article 4 April 1993 Aphid Prey of Passaloecus Cuspidatus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) John M. Fricke Concordia College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle  Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Fricke, John M. 1993. "Aphid Prey of Passaloecus Cuspidatus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 26 (1) Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol26/iss1/4 This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 1993 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 31 APHID PREY OF PA55ALOECU5 CU5PIDATU5 (HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE) John M. Fricke] ABSTRACT Provisioning activity of Passaloecus cuspidatus extended from 29 May through 6 August 1987. Eighty trap-nests contained 281 provisioned cells containing 9,618 aphids. The average number of aphids per cell was 34.2 and the average number of cells provisioned per day was 0.73. Passaloecus cuspi­datus stored the following aphids s provisions: Cinaria sp., Euceraphis sp., Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Myzus sp., Myzus cerasi, Myzus monardae, and Sitobium avenae. The number of aphids provisioned per cell was inversely related to aphid size. The number of aphids provisioned per cell varied signifI­cantly (9-74).Passaloecus species provision their nests with aphids (Fye 1965 and Krombein 1955, 1956, 1958. 1960, 1961, 1967) and a certain Passaloecus sp. may prey on more than six different aphid species (Fye, 1965). Nesting sites include beetle borings in wooden cow shed walls, artificial borings in elder­berry and chinaberry, pine trap-nests, and soda straws. Nests are linear and usually partitioned and closed with pine resin. Prey records of Passaloecus cuspidatus Smith provided by Fye (1965), Krombein (1956,1958,1963,1967), and Vincent (1978) i clude the following aphids: Cinara, Macrosiphum, Masonaphis, Myzus, and Rhopalosiphum. Aphid predators are more closely associated with particular habitats than they are to particular aphids (Dixon 1973). Passaloecus are flexible in their prey selection. The number of prey provi­sioned by Passaloecus spp. is extremely varied. Prey provisioned per cell ranged from 7 to 63; prey per nest ranged from 50 to 200. Corbet and Back­house (1975) suggested that, in favorable conditions, a single female could capture 1500 aphids based upon one cell provisioned per day (30 aphi s) and a wasp lifespan of 50 days. The mean number of aphids prOVIsioned per cell has not been reported in the literatUre. Neither are there reports on whether thespecies of aphid provisioned influences the number of aphids provisioned. METHODS AND MATERIALS Passloecus cuspidatus Smith was selected for investigation of aphid pro­visioning because its large size, markings and behavior made field identifica­tion possible. P. cuspidatus rings nest openings with resin prior to provision-INatural Science and Mathematics Division, Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. 1Fricke: Aphid Prey of <i>Passaloecus Cuspidatus</i> (Hymenoptera: SphecidPublished by ValpoScholar, 199332 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 26, No.1 Table 1. Aphids provisioned by Passaloecus cuspidatus, 1987. 160 37.0±11.8 sp. 9 35 26.8± 7.6 Macrosiphum euphorbiae 12 39 21.7 ± 8.2 Euceraphis sp., Myzys sp. 3 8 28.5± 7.7 Myzus cerasi 3 8 43.0± 17.5 Sitobium avenae. 1 6 34.8± 9.0 Mean Number of Number of Trap-nests Cells /I of Aphids ± S.D. ing, facilitating field observations. The study site was located on the campus of Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Michigan during the summer of 1987. Paraffin coated, pre-split trap-nests of seven bore diameters (2.4 -7.2 mm, with 0.8 mm increments) were provided as nesting material. The available frequencies of bore diameters were as follows: 2.4 mm - 211; 3.2 mm - 307; 4.0 mm-307; 4.8 mm-307; 5.6 mm-211; 6.4 mm-211 and 7.2 mm-21I. Trap-nests were removed from the field within one to two days of closure and were replaced with trap-nests of similar bore diameter. Closed trapnests were opened a d the contents of each cell were removed, aphids counted and, with the wasp egg or larva, were transferred to a rearing vial. Two aphids from each provisioned cell were retained for identification. Passaloecus cuspidatus was presumably active in the study area prior to site establishment on 29 May 1987. Five trap-nests were ringed with resin as of 1 June 1987. Trap-nest provisioning was observed on 1 June (4 trips, 2:39 pm-3:20 pm); 3 June (7 trips, 12:31 pm-l:35 pm); 18 June ( 6 trips, 10:17 am-ll:43 am); and 5 July (8 trips, 4:31 pm to 5:13 pm). Nesting activities continued thro gh the first week of August with no trapnests ringed or closed with resin after 6 August 1987. Observations on 8, 14, and 21 August 1987 provided no evidence of additional activity. Passaloecus cuspidatus used trap­nests at the following frequencies: 2.4 mm-9; 3.2 mm-37; 4.0 mm-28; 4.8 mm-8; 5.6 mm-l, and 6.4 mm-I. The minimum provisioning period for this wasp population was seventy days. This corresponds well with the range of flight dates (14 June-14 August) for P. cuspidatus mate ial from the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan d the Entomology Museum of Michigan State University, a d is supported by previous field observations of this species. In 1984, provisioning activity was first observed between 4 and 12 June and terminated between 4 a d 13 August. In 1985, emer~ence of P. cuspidatus from a natural nest occurred 10 May and nestingactiVIty ceased 20 August. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Passaloecus cuspidatus provisioned its cells with Cinaria sp., Euceraphis sp., Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Myzus sp., Myzus cerasi (Fabricius), Myzus monardae (Davis), and Sitobium avenae Fabricius (Table 1). Multiple t(II) tests for differences in number of aphids provisioned were significant for Myzus monardae, Cinaria sp., and Macrosiphum euphorbiae, [Myzus monar­dae and Cinaria sp., t(lI) = 7.05053, df = 193, p <.001; Cinaria sp. and Macrosiphum euphorbiae, t(ll) 3.62055, df ::::: 72, p < .001; and Myzus monardae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae, t(ll) = 10.7478, df = 197,p < .001]. Differences in number of aphids provisioned per cell were inversely related to 2The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 26, No. 1 [1993], Art. 4https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol26/iss1/41993 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 33 Table 2. Aphids provisioned by Passaloecus cuspidatus during Summer 1987. Provisioning period is divided nto 14 5-day intervals beginning 24 May and ending 11 Aug. Upper # is number of aphids; lower # is number of cells. Ending Dates For 14 Consecutive 5-day Provisioning Periods Aphids May June 28 2 7 12 17 22 27 July 7 12 17 22 27 August 1 6 11 Myzus 263 652 555 424 845 1056 556 669 871 35 monardae 7 20 16 13 24 29 17 14 19 1 Cinaria sp. 356 441 163 15 15 5 Macrosiphum 76 374 182 45 89 37 9 38 euplwrbiae 2 14 9 2 6 3 1 2 Euceraphis sp. 158 70 and Myzus sp. 6 2 Myzus 63 202 82 cerasi 3 4 2 Sitobium 27 182 avelUUi 1 5 undetermined 71 41 43 112 562 90 170 30 aphids 31 1 2 9 2 5 1 550 734 426 693 598 424 984 1744 1382 804 960 242 39 38 22 5 12 21 17 13 29 49 37 18 25 9 2 2 aphid size, with Myzus monardae the smallest and Macrosiphum euphorbiae the largest. Two trap-nests had an extraordinarily high number of provisions. One contained 430 aphids (eight cells, 53.75 aphids per cell) and another contained 334 aphids (five cells, 66.80 aphids per cell). Unfortunately, aphid samples for identification were not taken from these trap-nests. Table 2 summmarizes data on the seasonal changes in aphid provisioning by P. cuspidatus and relative numbers of aphids provisioned. Passloecus cus­pidatus was not restricted to a particular aphid species. Peaks in provisioning rates are assumed to be related to increased aphid numbers. Between 29 May and 7 June, Cinara sp., Euceraphis sp., Myzus sp., and Sitobion avenae Fabri­cus were used as provisions. From 8 June through 27 July Myzus monardae (Davis) was the preferred prey while Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) and Myzus cerasi (Fabricius) were provisioned in significant numbers between 28 June and 17 July. Provisioning rates were varied and estimated on he basis of number of cells provisioned and dates of bore ringing and closure. Trap-nests with esti­mated provisioning periods of one t  three days contained from one t  t n provisioned cells. Trap-nests with estimated provisioning periods of six to eight days contained two t eight provisioned cells. Trap-nests with provision­ing periods of 10 to 21 days contained one to five J:>rovisioned cells. The estimated number of cells provisioned per day ranged from 0 to 5. Several variables could influence provisioning rates. Exceptionally high provisioning rates could be the result of close proximity of aphids, closure materials and the nesting site. Aphids and closure materials somewhat dis­tant from the nesting site could result in low provisioning rates. A possible cause for low provisioning rates is a temporary cessation of provisioning activity. This cessation mif5ht be necessary to allow the development of addi­tional ova following a perIod of provisioning and oviposition. Other factors including inclement weather, low aphid population levels nd disruptive 3Fricke: Aphid Prey of <i>Passaloecus Cuspidatus</i> (Hymenoptera: SphecidPublished by ValpoScholar, 199334 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 26, No.1 behavior of parasitoids could influence provisioning rates. Cells (281) were provisioned during a cumulative provisioning period of 381 days. The average provisioning rate per trapnest was 0.73 cells per day. Trap-nests used less than four days had a higher than average provisioning rate and trap-nests used longer than four days had lower than average provisioning rates. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Aphid specimens were identified by Dr. Manya Stoetzel, USDA. LITERATURE CITED Corbet, S. A., and M. Backhouse. 1975. Aphid hunting wasps: a field study of Passa­loecus. Trans. Roy. Entomol. Soc. London. 127:11-30. Dixon, A. F. G. 1973. Biology of Aphids. The Institute of Biology's Studies in Biology no. 44, 58 pp. Edward Arnold (Publishers) Limited. London. Fricke, J. M. 1991. Trap-nest bore diameter preferences among sympatric Passaloecus spp. (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Great Lakes. Entomol. 24:123-125. Fye, R. E. 1965. The biology of the Vespidae, Pompilidae and Sphecidae from trapnests in northwestern Ontario. Canad. Entomoi. 97:716-744. Krombein, K. V. 1955. Miscellaneous prey records of solitary wasps. I. Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 50:13-17. __. 1956. Miscellaneous prey records of solitary wasps. II. Bull. Brooklyn EntomoL Soc. 51:42-44. __. 1958. Miscellaneous prey records of solitary wasps. III. Proc. BioI. Soc. Washing­ton. 71:21-26. __. 1960. Biological notes on some Hymenoptera that nest in sumach pith. Entomoi. News. 71:29-36, 63-69. _~1961. Miscellaneous prey records of solitary wasps. IV. Bull. Brooklyn Entomoi. Soc. 56: 62-65. __. 1967. Trap-nesting Wasps and Bees: Life Histories, Nests, and Associates, ill-vi + 570 pp. Smithsonian Press, Washington D.C. Vincent, D. L. 1978. A revision of the genus Passaloecus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) in America north of Mexico. Wasmann J. BioI. 36:127-198. 4The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 26, No. 1 [1993], Art. 4https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol26/iss1/4

Aphid Prey of \u3ci\u3ePassaloecus Cuspidatus\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

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Aphid Prey of \u3ci\u3ePassaloecus Cuspidatus\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

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