HOST SEED SIZE AND ADULT SIZE, EMERGENCE, AND MORPHOLOGY OF MEGASTIGMUS-ACULEATUS-NIGROFLAVUS (HYMENOPTERA, TORYMIDAE)

The effects of within-plant variation in seed size of Rosa multiflora Thunb. on adult size, emergence, and morphology of the seed-feeding to rymid wasp Megastigmus aculeatus nigroflavus Hoffmeyer were investigat ed. Large seeds were proportionally the most heavily infested by the w asps, and seed size significantly affected body size of emerged adults . Success in emerging from the seed was not influenced by seed size. T he static intraspecific allometry of wasps was determined. Three of ni ne measured characters (length of scape, length of pedicel, ocellocula r distance) had a negative allometric relationship (i.e., slopes of <1 .0) when log-transformed and plotted against thorax length; the remain ing measurements were isometric.