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Natural History and Ecology of Caterpillar Parasitoids

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Caterpillars in the Middle

Part of the book series: Fascinating Life Sciences ((FLS))

Abstract

Parasitoids are among the most diverse and important enemies of caterpillars. They are key components of the multitrophic communities in which caterpillars are sandwiched, and they have played a profound role in shaping caterpillar morphology, ecology, physiology, and behavior. Here, we review the natural histories and ecologies found in major parasitoid groups, with focus on the ichneumonoid wasps (especially Braconidae) and the Tachinidae (or “bristle flies”). We briefly examine aspects of the community patterns of caterpillar parasitoids, caterpillar traits that influence parasitism, host ranges of parasitoids, and what recent research employing genetic data is beginning to reveal about caterpillar-parasitoid associations. Finally, we assess how major anthropogenic environmental changes including habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, global warming, and agricultural intensification are affecting parasitoids and their interactions with hosts.

figure a

Head-on caterpillar of Eumorpha pandorus (Sphingidae; ventral side up), covered with the silk cocoons of a microgastrine braconid (probably Cotesia species), with an egg of a tachinid fly on its face, photographed in northern Arkansas. Photo: Kenji Nishida, Wakayama, Japan.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Suzanne Koptur and Robert Marquis for inviting us to contribute to this edited volume and providing valuable feedback as well as three reviewers (including RJ Marquis and JB Whitfield) whose comments served to improve this chapter. We also thank Steve Marshall and Kenji Nishida for granting us permission to publish their photos. Stireman was supported in part by NSF DEB 1442134 and Shaw in part by DEB 14-42110 during the preparation of this chapter. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA

    John O. Stireman III

  2. UW Insect Museum, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Scott R. Shaw

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  1. Department of Biology, Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri–St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA

    Robert J. Marquis

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Suzanne Koptur

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Stireman, J.O., Shaw, S.R. (2022). Natural History and Ecology of Caterpillar Parasitoids. In: Marquis, R.J., Koptur, S. (eds) Caterpillars in the Middle. Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86688-4_8

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