Courtship Behavior and Evidence for a Sex Pheromone in the Apple Maggot Parasite, Opius alloeus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)1

Abstract

The probable occurrence and biological role of sex pheromones have been demonstrated in approximately 200 insect species in 8 orders (Jacobson 1965). Of these, 18 species are Hymenoptera, with 3 species in the Braconidae (Fink 1926, Murr 1930, Parker 1931, Whiting 1932). The potential importance of such chemical stimuli in insect control is recognized (Knipling and McGuire 1966). However their potential in increasing the effectiveness of beneficial parasitic species is largely conjecture. Pheromones may provide an invaluable tool in behavioral and taxonomic studies of closely related forms.