When complex movement yields simple dispersal: behavioural heterogeneity, spatial spread and parasitism in groups of micro-wasps.

Background: Understanding how behavioural dynamics, inter-individual variability and individual interactions scale-up to shape the spatial spread and dispersal of animal populations is a major challenge in ecology. For biocontrol agents, such as the microscopic Trichogramma parasitic wasps, an understanding of movement strategies is also critical to predict pest-suppression performance in the field.

Methods: We experimentally studied the spatial propagation of groups of parasitoids and their patterns of parasitism.