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Why must her host be cancelled to be recognized?

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By Chelsie Vandaveer

February 27, 2002

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Killer Picks: Unique Professionally Designed Gardens—>Click here.

Rose-of-Sharon Hedge, Naturalized Shade Garden—>Click here.

Catolaccus grandis Burks [ca to lak' us gran' dis] is a small wasp only about 9 millimeters long native to Mexico. It is an idiobiont, a parasitoid that paralyses and arrests the development of its host. Catolaccus grandis is harmless to almost every form of life on Earth except two species of boll weevil.

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The female Catolaccus grandis is a marvelously diabolical creature. She seeks in the cotton fields those squares (flower buds) where a boll weevil larva lives. Catolaccus carefully probes the square until she locates the weevil larva; she stings the larva and lays an egg by its side.

In a few days the young wasp will hatch. The wasp larva is an ectoparasitoid; it feeds by attaching itself externally to the weevil larva.

Before the female Catolaccus lays her egg in an infested square, she 'makes' a decision. If the weevil larva is not well developed and still small, Catolaccus will lay an unfertilized egg. This haploid (one set of chromosomes) egg develops into a male wasp.

If the weevil larva has developed to its third instar (stage of life after a second molting) or a pupa, Catolaccus will fertilize an egg with sperm stored from mating. This diploid (two sets of chromosomes) egg develops into a female.

But if the female Catolaccus finds no squares infested by boll weevil larvae, she will reabsorb the mature eggs. She will live longer and produce eggs when there are weevil larvae for her young.

There is an oddity to the behavior of Catolaccus grandis. The boll weevil larva must be 'cancelled'; there must be a barrier between it and the rest of the world. The female Catolaccus does not recognize a weevil larva unless it is within a square or boll of cotton. This 'host in its proper place' recognition prevents her from laying an egg on a larva that may fall prey to another predator.

The US Department of Agriculture has a photograph of a Catolaccus grandis visiting a larva encased in Parafilm® (cancelled). To view the parasitoid and prey, click on the link:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/k5108-16.htm

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Unique Professionally Designed Gardens

Springhill Nursery®

Spring Hill Nursery has unique gardens professionally designed by experts to take the guesswork out of gardening. Whether you are looking for a three season garden, foundation garden, or a garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, Spring Hill Nursery has created a step-by-step design just for you. Click here - $20 off your first order at Spring Hill Nursery!

Rose-of-Sharon Hedge

Springhill Nursery®

Single 3-4'' red-centered blooms with petals in shades of pink, blue or white top glossy green foliage from midsummer to fall. A late bloomer, this shrub is among the last to leaf out in spring, but once it does, it blooms continuously.

Grows to 6-12' high and makes a great colorful hedge, border or feature planting in your garden. Space shrubs 6-12' apart. Our choice of varieties. Zone 4 to 9.

Hibiscus syriacus

Rose-of-Sharon Hedge Ships In The Spring Click here - Save $20 on $50 order

Planting Requirements: Grows in about any soil except those which are extremely wet or dry.

Soil Requirements: Does best in moist, well-drained amended soil.

Unique Characteristics: Compact growth habit, ease of culture and reliable blooming are characteristics that make this a good choice for a hedge filled with color, or feature planting in your landscape. A continuous parade of blooms starting around mid summer and not stopping until fall are accented by the lush dark green leaves with rounded edges.

Naturalized Shade Garden

Springhill Nursery®

For tranquil beauty, there's nothing to compare with a naturalized garden in some shady spot—a display that feels as though Mother Nature herself had chosen a complementary selection of shade-loving plants. For this Naturalized Shade Garden, Spring Hill has combined 39 special plants which can transform any shady area of approx. 60 sq. ft. into an island of serene beauty—a blend of textures with inspiring touches of color.

Included in this garden are three different varieties of hosta, which are delightful in combination with the arching fronds of hardy Ostrich Plume Fern. And for color, there are shade-loving plants which will be in bloom from spring well into late summer. All are easy to plant, and like a true naturalized garden, require only a minimum of care to provide years of charm and beauty. These coordinated plants can be arranged as a border, bed or to bring beauty to a north-facing corner or foundation - a place where you thought nothing except weeds would ever grow!

In this collection you will receive:

3 Ostrich Plume Ferns
1 Pink Bleeding Heart
15 Perennial Lily Bargain Bag
7 Daylily Bargain Bag
3 Mixed Monarda
1 Blue Hosta
1 Green and White Hosta
1 Royal Standard Hosta
1 Pink Dwarf Bleeding Heart
3 Chantreyland Violas
6 Lily-of-the-Valley
3 Forget-Me-Nots
3 Red Coral Bells

1 Garden equals 48 prime-quality plants
(A $151.85 Catalog Value.)

Naturalized Shade Garden Ships In The Spring Click here - Save $20 on $50 order

This collection includes:

Ostrich Plume Fern (3), Luxuriant, graceful fronds reach a length of 24-36'' long and are 18'' wide.
Pink Bleeding Heart (1), Long, arching sprays drip with dozens of inflated pink heart-shaped flowers with dainty white tears.
Perennial Lily Bargain Bag (15), Asiatic lily varieties produce rich colored blooms.
Daylily Bargain Bag (7), The mainstay of the summer garden!
Mixed Monarda (3), A delightful mixture of white, pink, purple and red flower heads adorn gardens and borders for weeks.
Blue Hosta (1), Unusually large, blue-green leaves. Lavender blooms. This is a low maintenance ground cover.
Green and White Hosta (1), Two-tone ornamental with lilac flowers grows 15-20'' tall. Is a low maintenance ground cover.
Royal Standard Hosta (1), Shapely, lush foliage. Scented white flowers. Grows 24-30'' tall, 48'' across. Is a low maintenance ground cover.
Pink Dwarf Bleeding Heart (1), Super-hardy, carefree plant is covered with pink pendant flowers spring through early summer, again in fall.
Chantreyland Viola (3), "Everblooming" variety brings reliable rays of sunshine from early spring through summer.
Lily-of-the-Valley (6), Clusters of fragrant white bells on 8-10'' stems appear in mid to late spring amid emerald-green leaves.
Forget-Me-Nots (3), Decorative, low-growing perennial is loaded with hundreds of bright blue flowers.
Red Coral Bells (3), Graceful 15-20'' spikes with crimson flowers above mounds of light foliage .