Strife among siblings
Article Abstract:
Precocious larvae of parasitoid Hymenoptera wasps attack and kill other parasitoid eggs and larvae within the host. The two previously offered explanations of this behavior are oversimple. The wasps oviposit into insect eggs such as moths but the larvae do not begin to consume the host until it matures. One or two eggs are laid but when two are laid one must be female. The precocious larvae are always female and destroy their brothers. The resulting female-biased sex ratio may be explained by appeal to gene-pool constitution and mating opportunities.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1992
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Making life simpler
Article Abstract:
Recent research has looked at approaches to simplifying life-history theory. It is possible, for example, to simplify the calculation of darwinian fitness by assuming that a particular population is not changing in size. This eliminates non-algebraic complexities and converts darwinian fitness simply into the number of offspring produced over an organism's lifespan. It can be argued that the same basic pattern forms the basis for many of the issues which have traditionally been a cause of contention within life-history theory.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1997
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Jasmonate-inducible plant defences cause increased parasitism of herbivores
Article Abstract:
Inducing plants with jasmonic acid boosts parasitism of caterpillar pests in an agricultural field twofold, according to research undertaken in the tomato growing region of the Central Valley of California. This research involved spraying eight-week-old tomato plants with jasmonic acid to stimulate the octadecanoid pathway. In tomato plants, jasmonate-induced resistance led to reduced abundance of herbivores in three feeding guilds, including phloem feeders and leaf chewers.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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