Advances In Parasitic Hymenoptera Research

Author : David Rivers
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9788130801612
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (16 download)

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Download or read book Recent Advances in the Biochemistry, Toxicity, and Mode of Action of Parasitic Wasp Venoms written by David Rivers and published by . This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Parasitic wasps represent an extraordinarily diverse group, with over 600,000 species having been described and perhaps a million or more species in existence today. If abundance equates with success, then these wasps rival the beetles in terms of animal dominance. Surprisingly, not until recently have these parasitic wasps received the attention due to them. This is not to say that the Parasitica division of the order Hymenoptera has been ignored. In fact, parasitic wasps have been the subjects of research investigations for nearly a century. However, unique facets of the biology of these parasitoids were largely unknown until the intensity of research using them as test subjects was heightened due to changes in pest control strategies in the United States and Europe. Increasing interest in integrated approaches to pest control within sustainable agricultural management programs led to studies on the basic biology of these wasps, and shed light on many aspects of their fascinating, and frequently beneficial, activities and biological features. The result has been a near revolution in terms of our understanding of natural history, biology and host-parasite interactions. Among the most dramatic areas of advancement have come in host-parasitoid maintenance and population dynamics. In particular, parasitic wasps were found to be capable of regulating their hosts, through manipulation of host behavior, physiology, and development for the benefit of developing wasp progeny. Hints of such host regulation can be found within previous literature, but it is only within the last two decades that many of the details of how the host is altered and what regulatory substances are involved have been deciphered. This paved the way for showing the role of many maternally derived secretions (e.g., polydnaviruses, calyx and ovarian fluids, virus-like particles, entomopoxvirus, and venoms), and in some cases larval fluids, in addition to the action of proteinacious venoms, either alone or synergistically, by female wasps to condition the host. Thus, these venoms are important sources of regulatory substances that are key to the success of the parasitoid using the host. Exceptionally noteworthy are the exciting array of changes in host condition that are elicited by sublethal doses of venom and its components, prompting new investigations into the utility of these bioactive compounds. Venoms from endo- and ectoparasitic wasp species exhibit various physiological and developmental effects, ranging from paralysis to molt inhibition to behavior modification, that vary depending on the host species and developmental stage attacked. Some wasps possess venom that permanently paralyze or kill the host, whereas others arrest or slow growth and development. Recently, parasitioid venom has been shown to have antimicrobial properties, and in other species, venom leads to conditioning the host for the purpose of over-wintering. These observations were largely unknown 20 years ago when Tom Piek edited his excellent treatise Venoms of the Hymenoptera (1986), and likewise, only a small portion of Donald Quicke s outstanding book Parasitic Wasps (1997) could be devoted to the subject of venoms of parasitic wasps. So few outside of the field of parasitic wasp venoms have delighted in the complexity of venom cocktails, modes of action, or physiological effects. Here, we have enlisted the help of several researchers to share their insight into the biochemistry of venoms from endo- and ectoparasitic wasp species; the modes of action these venoms and effects on insects hosts at the organismal, tissue and cellular level; and the relevant toxicity of venoms or isolated toxins toward host and pest insects. Our hope is that this book provides a comprehensive coverage of some of the most current work being conducted throughout the world on parasitic wasp venoms. Ultimately, though, our desire is to foster discussion and encourage further research with these fascinating creatures, whether for biological control purposes or out of sheer intellectual curiosity.