Science Diary: Caterpillars - Parasitoids: The Pulse of the Planet daily radio program offers free legal online mp3 downloads, exploring the world of sound in nature, culture and science, with audio adventures, world music, extraordinary sound portraits, science diaries, and nature ring-tones; an amazing sonic experience.



Airdate: Sep 29, 2008
Scientist: Lee Dyer Grant Gentry

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 ANIMALS ,Insects ,Rainforest ,caterpillars ,behavior


Science Diary: Caterpillars - Parasitoids

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In Costa Rica's banana plantations, parasitoids can keep hungry caterpillars in check.
Transcript:

music; ambience

A lot of caterpillars like new growth, its what they like to eat, so young leaves. Its the new growth and the tips have been chewed away. This looks like something interesting.

In a Costa Rican rainforest, ecologist Grant Gentry and a team of Earthwatch volunteers are searching for caterpillars and parasitoids the organisms that prey on caterpillars. Welcome to Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries, a glimpse of the world of science from the inside.

A parasitoid, its really kind of a specialized kind of predator. Its an organism, almost always an insect, that will lay an egg or a larva on or inside of another host, usually another insect. And then, that parasitoids offspring, the maggot, will feed on that living host. So it always kills its host in one generation. Thats what a parasitoid does.

[in the field] That's a little, that's a little predator. Zippin' around. Be careful, he might drop. And get more of that vine.

The scientific community doesnt really know how important a role parasitoids play in forest dynamics here in the tropics, or really even in the states. Theres some evidence that shows that parasitoids are extremely important in keeping certain organisms populations low, or affecting where they can live or how they can live or their behavior. In some systems parasitoids provide, you know, 40% of the mortality of some specific species of, lets say, caterpillar. If you have a healthy mix of parasitoids and predators in a banana plantation, then that can potentially translate into fewer pest caterpillars.

Well hear more on caterpillars in future programs. Our latest project is a competition for third to sixth graders. Check out kidsciencechallenge.com.

Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries are made possible by the National Science Foundation. Im Jim Metzner.







 
Science Diary: Caterpillars - Parasitoids