Effects of time after last herbivory on the attraction of corn plants infested with common arymworms to a parasitic wasp Cotesia kariyai.

Females of the gregarious endoparasitoid Cotesia kariyai were attracted to a blend of volatiles released from corn plants infested with larvae of their host, the common armyworm (Mythimna separata). We investigated the effects of time after the last infestation (1-168 h) on the attractiveness of corn plants infested by host larvae by using a wind tunnel under laboratory conditions. Immediately after the removal of the larvae, parasitoids were attracted more to plants that had been infested with the larvae than to intact plants (control). This attractiveness gradually decreased with time after the last infestation. The attractiveness of the infested plants was significantly higher than that of intact plants when the time after the last infestation was within 1 day. Fifteen herbivore-induced volatiles were recorded in the headspace of infested corn plants irrespective of time. The amounts of some compounds including (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, which have already been reported to attract C. kariyai, correlated with the attractiveness. The ecological meaning of the duration of production of C. kariyai attractants is discussed.