Abstract
The study investigates differences in the oviposition pattern of a braconid parasitoid,
Cotesia glomerata
(Linn.) in
Pieris brassicae
(Linn.) in relation to their use of different cruciferous food plants. The response of
P. brassicae
to superparasitism and consequences for the parasitoid were examined in order to elucidate the ecological significance of this behaviour. Female parasitoid located various crucifers and searched for host more frequently almost on all the host plants tested i.e. cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, broccoli and radish. According to the estimated relative number of female locating hosts, cabbage was the most attractive plant for
C. glomerata
and total number of eggs laid in host larvae feeding on it was higher than in larvae feeding on other plants. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that superparasitism reduced survivorship of
P. brassicae
larvae. Superparasitism lengthened parasitoid development and prolonged the feeding period of host larvae. Sex ratio and the body weight of emergent wasps correlated negatively with brood size. Despite a trade-off between maximising brood size and optimising the fitness of individual offspring, two or three ovipositions on
P. brassicae
larvae resulted in a greater female dry mass than did a single oviposition on the host. Thus, superparasitism might be of adaptive significance under certain circumstances, especially when host density is low and unparasitized hosts are rare in a habitat.