CBSE Class 12-science Answered
What is adelpho parasitism? Explain with the example of Encarsia perplexa and Bonellia iridis.
In case of some parasites, after mating, a female lays diploid eggs in the nymphs. When available, a second instar nymph is selected and each egg will eventually produce a female adult. At 24°C in the laboratory, it takes 30 to 35 days from egg-laying to adult emergence. Unmated females lay haploid eggs in the fully developed larvae of their own species. These hatch out into males, a process known as adelpho-parasitism.
An adelpho-parasite is a parasite in which the host species is closely related to the parasite, often being a member of the same family or genus.
An example of this is the citrus blackfly parasitoid, Encarsia perplexa. The unmated females of this parasite may lay haploid eggs in the fully developed larvae of their own species. These result in the production of male offspring.
The marine worm Bonellia viridis has a similar reproductive strategy, although the larvae are planktonic.