Title: Tachinid Fly (Lespesia archippivora) Parasitism of Monarch Butterfly Larvae (Danaus plexippus)
1Tachinid Fly (Lespesia archippivora) Parasitism
of Monarch Butterfly Larvae (Danaus plexippus)
- Kaitlyn Creasey
- February 14, 2007
2University of Minnesota
Dr. Karen Oberhauser
3Tachinid Fly (Lespesia archippivora)
Photo by Author
4Armyworm
5Monarch Butterfly Larva (Danaus plexippus)
Photo by Author
6Life Cycle of Tachinid Flies
Photos by Author and Dr. Karen Oberhauser
7Life Cycle of Tachinid Flies
Photos by Author and Dr. Karen Oberhauser
8Life Cycle of Tachinid Flies
Photos by Author and Dr. Karen Oberhauser
9Life Cycle of Tachinid Flies
Photos by Author and Dr. Karen Oberhauser
10Life Cycle of Tachinid Flies
Photos by Author and Dr. Karen Oberhauser
11Life Cycle of Tachinid Flies
Photos by Author and Dr. Karen Oberhauser
12Monarch Instars
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
13Egg
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
14First-instar
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
15Second-instar
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
16Third-instar
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
17Fourth-instar
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
18Fifth-instar
Photo used with permission of Dr. Karen Oberhauser
19Focus of Project
- Continue Oberhauser study (2000-2005) on wild
monarch tachinid parasitism - Study correlations of sex, mass, and length of
pupation of tachinid pupae - Successfully parasitize monarch larvae with
laboratory-raised tachinid flies
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27Photo by Author
28Background
- Goal 2 Find correlation between tachinid pupae
sex, mass, and duration of pupal stage of
tachinid flies - Cardoza et al. (1997)
29Hypotheses
- Female tachinid pupae would be larger than male
tachinid pupae and duration of pupal stage would
be longer for females - Number of tachinid larvae laid on a monarch larva
would affect the mass of tachinid pupae
30Solutions for Problems Encountered
- After 24 hours, monarch larvae had died before
any tachinid larvae could emerge
31Solutions for Problems Encountered
- After 24 hours, monarch larvae had died before
any tachinid larvae could emerge - Echegaray (1975)
32Solutions for Problems Encountered
- After 24 hours, monarch larvae had died before
any tachinid larvae could emerge - Echegaray (1975)
- Dissection showed an average of 20 tachinid fly
larvae in a single dead monarch larvae
33Superparasitized Monarch Larva
34Superparasitized Monarch Larva
35Superparasitized Monarch Larva
36Superparasitized Monarch Larva
37Solutions for Problems Encountered
- Larvae exposure time to the flies was shortened
in order to avoid super parasitism and allow
tachinid larvae to fully develop
38Tachinid Fly Parasitized Wild Monarch Larvae
Survey
Percent healthy adults Percent parasitized by tachinid flies Percent died from other causes
70.9 (n61) 7.0 (n6) 22.1 (n19)
39Tachinid Fly Parasitized Wild Monarch Larvae
Survey
Percent healthy adults Percent parasitized by tachinid flies Percent died from other causes
70.9 (n61) 7.0 (n6) 22.1 (n19)
40Percent Parasitized Monarch Larvae at each Site
41Percent Monarch Larvae vs. Instar at Collection
(chi square value11.296, df6, 0.10gtpgt0.05)
42Mean Tachinid Pupa Mass vs. Sex
(p0.0001 standard error for females 9.31 x
10-4 standard error for males 1.97 x 10-3)
43Tachinid Sex vs. Tachinid Duration of Pupal Stage
(p0.0001 standard error for females 0.31
standard error for males 0.18)
44Number of Tachinid Larvae per Monarch Larva
45Number of Tachinid Larvae per Monarch Larvae vs.
Mean Tachinid Pupae Mass
(p4.29E-4, standard error for 1-4 3.77E-5
standard error for 5-8 1.60E-5)
46 Monarch Parasitisms by Tachinid Flies
Monarch instar Number of tachinid larvae
First 2
Fourth 3
47Conclusion
- 7 wild monarch larvae parasitized
48Conclusion
- 7 wild monarch larvae parasitized
- Male tachinid pupae were statistically heavier
than females and remained in the pupal stage
longer than females
49Conclusion
- 7 wild monarch larvae parasitized
- Male tachinid pupae were statistically heavier
than females and remained in the pupal stage
longer than females - When a larger number of tachinid larvae emerged
from host monarch larvae, the average mass of the
tachinid pupae was significantly less
50Future Work
- Continuing the study of percent of parasitized
monarch larvae
51Future Work
- Continuing the study of percent of parasitized
monarch larvae - Maintaining a population of tachinid flies in the
laboratory
52Future Work
- Continuing the study of percent of parasitized
monarch larvae - Maintaining a population of tachinid flies in the
laboratory - Continuing the study of the relationships between
tachinid flies and monarch larvae
53Acknowledgements
- Dr. Karen Oberhauser
- Roger Moon
- Lois Fruen
- Research Class
54Tachinid Fly (Lespesia archippivora) Parasitism
of Monarch Butterfly Larvae (Danaus plexippus)
- Kaitlyn Creasey
- February 14, 2007