Modification of Tetragnatha montana (AraneaeTetragnathidae) web architecture induced by larva of the parasitoidAcrodactyla quadrisculpta (Hymenoptera IchneumonidaePolysphincta genus-group)

摘要

Background:Thepolysphinctine wasp, ,is akoinobiont ecto-parasitoid of spiders and is narrowly associated with the biology of itsspider hosts. The larva, attached to the dorsal side of the abdomen, develops while thespider continues foraging. Shortly before pupation, the parasitoid larva manipulates theweb-building activity of the host in order to construct a safe shelter against naturalelements and predators during parasitoid pupation.