Seeking the unseen: a review of host-finding strategies of parasitoids attacking wood-boring beetles

Abstract The success of biological control of insect pests by parasitoids ultimately depends on effective host foraging by the agents, which involves multiple processes and various cues associated with hosts’ habitat, host-associated symbionts and other microbial organisms, and/or hosts themselves. In general, parasitoid interactions with concealed hosts such as wood-boring beetles differ significantly from those that attack exposed hosts (eg surface-feeding caterpillars, aphids) as they must rely on a more complex hierarchy of cues to first locate hosts’ microhabitats and then hosts for their reproduction. These differences influence the parasitoid’s host-finding strategies, specificity, and their efficacy in suppressing their host populations. Here, we review the major steps in host finding by parasitoids of wood-boring beetles and synthesize current knowledge on the chemical, vibrational, visual, and other cues that mediate each stage of the process. We highlight how these cues operate across different spatial scales, interact with parasitoid morphology and behavior, and shape the success of biological control programs targeting economically important wood-boring pests. Finally, we identify key knowledges gaps and point to some future research directions aimed at improving the selection, deployment, and monitoring of parasitoid biological control agents in forest ecosystems.