Influence of needle and egg batch morphology on <i>Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni</i> Tams, 1926 (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) oviposition and parasitism in upper altitude young <i>Pinus brutia</i> forests
BIOLOGIA, cilt.81, sa.9, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 81 Sayı: 9
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11756-026-02328-9
- Dergi Adı: BIOLOGIA
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study evaluated the influence of needle and egg batch morphology on oviposition preferences and parasitism success of Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni Tams, 1926 (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). Research was conducted in young Brutian pine forests at the upper elevational zone. Surveys were conducted in October-November 2023 in 12 T . wilkinsoni-infested sampling plots in southwestern T & uuml;rkiye. Approximately 100 trees were examined per plot, and egg batches were counted and collected. Egg-batch length, needle length, and the distance from the egg batch to the needle sheath were measured, while total, hatched, unhatched, and parasitized eggs were recorded. Overall, 389 egg batches were documented. The mean number of eggs per batch was 180.38, of which 65.0% hatched, 13.1% were parasitized, and 22.0% remained unhatched. Average needle and egg-batch lengths were 86.32 mm and 25.84 mm, respectively, and the mean distance between the egg batch and the needle sheath was 8.32 mm. Egg number showed positive associations with needle and egg-batch length. While absolute batch length correlated with all egg-related variables, relative analyses (REBL and RDNS) revealed that intermediate batch lengths and proximity to the needle sheath optimized larval emergence and reproductive success. Neither egg-batch position nor morphology significantly influenced parasitoid performance. These findings suggest that egg-batch size and positioning primarily reflect oviposition strategies favoring reproductive efficiency rather than defense against parasitoids. By distinguishing absolute morphological traits from their relative configuration on host needles, this study provides new insight into how T. wilkinsoni allocates oviposition effort and how host-needle characteristics may shape reproductive performance.