Der Einfluß des Superparasitismus auf den Massenwechsel der Insekten.

Abstract

While until now superparasitism has been studued nearly exclusive in solitary parasites (a single individual of the parasite evolving in a host individual), the above paper deals with superparasitism by a gregarious parasite (more than one individual of the parasite species evolving in a host individual). A permanent calamity of Aporia crataegi (L.) in SW-Germany within the last years afforded an opportunity to study the parasitization by the gregarious parasite Apanteles glomeratus (L.). In case oviposition of the parasite female takes place according to the theory of chances the strength of superparasitis depends on the percentage of parasitization. In the reality, however, there appear exceptions to the rules obtained from theoretic calculations, because 1. the parasite is often able to avoid hosts already parasitized and 2. the hosts are unlikely available for the parasite. The superparasitism influences the fluctuation of popolation density of host and parasite in a very different way.