Antennal sensilla of hymenopteran parasitic wasps: variations linked to host exploitation behavior
Résumé
Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs in or on the body of their hosts, mostly arthropods. This paper presents the antennal sensilla used by female parasitoids to locate and evaluate these hosts. A variety of olfactory, gustatory (taste), mechanoreceptor (tactile) and thermo-hygroreceptive sensilla can be found on the antennae of female parasitoids. The number and distribution of these sensilla on the antennae vary based on the life history of both the parasitoid and the host but detailed functional explanations are still lacking due to the small number of antennae that have been studied.