Department of Ecology, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
J Chem Ecol. 1984 May;10(5):695-712. doi: 10.1007/BF00988537.
Chemical stimuli play an important role in the process of searching for a host habitat by parasitic wasps. Volatile compounds originating from host habitats and/or hosts are the cues that enable such a location.Leptopilina heterotoma, a larval parasite ofDrosophila, is attracted to the food of its host, baker's yeast. Analysis of the fermentation products of baker's yeast, using a mass spectrometer, and olfactometer studies indicate that three fermentation products of this yeast, the main component of the host habitat in our laboratory, attractL. heterotoma: ethanol (5%), ethyl acetate (10(-2), 10(-3)%), and acetaldehyde (1%). A combination of these three compounds, however, cannot compete with baker's yeast in attracting the parasites. Thus other factors, such as different compounds, concentrations, and/or combinations, also, play a role and remain to be tested.Leptopilina heterotoma does not use host-related olfactory cues in long-distance habitat location as it cannot distinguish between host habitat and host habitat with hosts.
化学刺激在寄生蜂寻找宿主栖息地的过程中起着重要作用。源自宿主栖息地和/或宿主的挥发性化合物是能够定位的线索。Drosophila 的幼虫寄生蜂 Leptopilina heterotoma 被其宿主——面包酵母的食物所吸引。使用质谱仪对面包酵母的发酵产物进行分析，并通过嗅觉计研究表明，这种酵母的三种发酵产物，即我们实验室中宿主栖息地的主要成分，吸引了 Leptopilina heterotoma：乙醇（5%）、乙酸乙酯（10(-2)、10(-3)%）和乙醛（1%）。然而，这三种化合物的组合并不能与面包酵母竞争来吸引寄生虫。因此，其他因素，如不同的化合物、浓度和/或组合，也起作用，有待进一步测试。Leptopilina heterotoma 在远距离栖息地定位时不使用与宿主相关的嗅觉线索，因为它无法区分宿主栖息地和有宿主的宿主栖息地。
