Parasitoid wasp - Mimicry

Multiple mimicry traits of a parasitoid wasp -mimicing an ant. 

 In this blog I am going to write about a very interesting species, a wingless parasitoid wasp. This wasp is a hyperparasitoid wasp, meaning that it parasitises other parasitic wasps, by injecting their eggs into the cocoons that have emerged from the original host insect, for example a butterfly or spider (Harvey, 2015). 


figure 1: Gelis agilis wasp injecting its eggs into a cocoon - retrieved from https://nioo.knaw.nl/en/vacatures/lifetime-reproductive-success-two-secondary-hyperparasitoid-wasps-lysibia-nana-and-gelis (Harvey, 2015).

 It can exhibits a wide range of traits, both physiological and morphological. This species has become adapted in a special way. It mimics a common type of black ant. It has adapted these traits in order to gain protection against ground-dwelling predators, and in this case the wolf spider. Gelis agilis, the parasitoid wasp is very similar to the black garden ant Lasius niger, in both appearance and body shape, and when G.agilis is threatened, it also emits a chemical that is similar to a chemical produced by the ant that repels spiders, in particular the wolf spider (Malcicka et al., 2015).

The chemical repellent is called Sulcatone, this chemical is used in ants to call other ants to help when they are confronted with a predator. The amount of ants that arrive are too much for the predator to handle and they do not attack, instead they leave the ants and hunt elsewhere. When the wasp G.agilis releases the chemical, the predator retreats, expecting a large amount of ants to arrive (Malcicka et al., 2015). 

This type of mimicry, involving chemical mimicry is called full spectrum mimicry, as it is more than a superficial appearance, as some mimicry can be. (Malcicka et al., 2015). 

ReferencesHarvey, J. (2015). Lifetime reproductive success in two secondary hyperparasitoid wasps, Lysibia nana and Gelis agilis. [online] Nioo.knaw.nl. Available at: https://nioo.knaw.nl/en/vacatures/lifetime-reproductive-success-two-secondary-hyperparasitoid-wasps-lysibia-nana-and-gelis [Accessed 13 Apr. 2015].

Malcicka, M., Bezemer, T., Visser, B., Bloemberg, M., Snart, C., Hardy, I. and Harvey, J. (2015). Multi-trait mimicry of ants by a parasitoid wasp. Scientific Reports, 5, p.8043.

Counter evolutionary methods and More about Chick that mimics caterpillar

Moth defense against a Spider

Moths are covered in tiny scales. When the moth hits the web the tiny scales can shed off and allow the moth to break free (Brunetta and Craig, 2010). The moth may have developed this as a defense towards the spiders web over the thousands of years.

figure 1: The microscopic scales on a moths wings. (Irving, 2015)

However in my previous blog about the bolas spider, I said that the spider creates a globular blob which then sticks to the moth that flies into it. Therefore the moths scales would make little impact to help free itself. This technique of shedding scales could only work on a silk web. The moth gets hit by the bolas and when it tries to free itself it makes itself more tangled in the web (Brunetta and Craig, 2010).  

A different possible defense to the bolas spider is that the bolas spider produces two pheromones to attract two different types of moth. Lacinipolia reginera is one of the moths and when it detects its pheromone it flies towards it, even if a different pheromone is being released from the area/ source too.
However a different species of moth from the same area Tetanolita mynesalis is attracted to its pheromone, however if a different pheromone is also being released such as the one for L.reginera, it flies away (Burchsted, 2015).This is one defense mechanism that the L.reginera has developed against the bolas spider.

Laniocera hypopyrra -Chick that mimics a caterpillar (answered questions)

One of the questions asked on the previous blog was if the chick was a similar size to the caterpillar. 

According to the American naturalist journal the chick is 14cm in length, which is a very close size to the caterpillar, which is 12cm in length (Yirka, 2015)  . 

Another fascinating fact about this chick is that it acts like the caterpillar almost exactly.  It make movements and doesn't call out until it receives a signal from its mother. Then it resumes to being like a chick (Yirka, 2015).

References

 Brunetta, L. and Craig, C. (2010). Spider silk. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Burchsted, A. (2015). Bola Spiders Lure and Eat Moths. [online] Suite. Available at: https://suite.io/albert-burchsted/2pjn2a5 [Accessed 5 Apr. 2015].

Irving, R. (2015). Wing scales help camouflage from sonar: moth - AskNature. [online] Asknature.org. Available at: http://www.asknature.org/strategy/be92d2132e07f8a21d54f687a314a878#.VSEwSvnF-8A [Accessed 5 Apr. 2015].

Yirka, B. (2015). Amazonian bird chicks mimic poisonous caterpillar to avoid detection. [online] Phys.org. Available at: http://phys.org/news/2014-12-amazonian-bird-chicks-mimic-poisonous.html [Accessed 5 Apr. 2015].