Looking for the ants: selection of oviposition sites by two myrmecophilous butterfly species

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Wynhoff ◽  
Mark Grutters ◽  
Frank van Langevelde
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Sanguisorba Officinalis ◽  
Myrmica Scabrinodis ◽  
Oviposition Sites ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractObligate myrmecophilous butterfly species, such as Maculinea teleius and M. nausithous that hibernate as caterpillar in nests of the ant species Myrmica scabrinodis and M. rubra respectively, have narrowly defined habitat requirements. One would expect that these butterflies are able to select for sites that meet all their requirements. Both butterfly species occur in habitats where their initial larval resource, the host plant Sanguisorba officinalis, is abundant, while the ant nests are relatively less abundant. With ants in the proximity of a host plant, caterpillars have a chance of being found by their host ant species, while the host plant could become a sink as caterpillars will die when there are no ants close to the host plant. We tested whether females oviposit on host plants in the close proximity of host ants (ant-mediated oviposition) or whether there is random oviposition, using 587 1-m2 plots in and around a nature reserve in The Netherlands where both species were reintroduced. We found that females of both species indeed more often deposit eggs on host plants nearby ants than on host plants without ants. Visits of adult butterflies to plots with the host plant but without the host ants only occurred in years with high butterfly densities. We argue that understanding site selection for oviposition is important for these highly endangered butterfly species with a specialised life cycle, especially after disturbances or reintroductions.

Confirmation by DNA analysis that Contarinia maculipennis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) is a polyphagous pest of orchids and other unrelated cultivated plants

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Uechi ◽  
M. Tokuda ◽  
J. Yukawa ◽  
F. Kawamura ◽  
K.K. Teramoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Cultivated Plants ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit ◽  
Flower Buds ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
I Gene ◽  
Extensive Damage

AbstractThe cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene in mitochondrial DNA of 53 larvae of Contarinia maculipennis Felt from flower buds of various host plants, collected from Hawaii, Japan and Thailand was analysed. Monophyly of the clade including C. maculipennis from Hawaii, Thailand and Japan was supported. There was no sequential variation within the specimens from Hawaii and Japan, which differed from one another by 6 bp (1.37%). Three haplotypes were recognized in specimens from Thailand but differences from Hawaiian and Japanese specimens were small. Overall, there were no differences in the 146 deduced amino acid residues. It is therefore concluded that C. maculipennis is a polyphagous species that can develop on plant hosts representing at least seven botanical families. This pest of Dendrobium flower buds in glasshouses is considered to have entered Hawaii, Florida and Japan from Southeast Asia, and was recently intercepted in the Netherlands. Infestations have established and spread in orchid glasshouses, causing concern about the possibility of more extensive damage to orchids and to crops, such as bitter gourd, grown in close proximity to orchid glasshouses in Japan. The potential usefulness of DNA analysis in determining host plant ranges of morphologically identical cecidomyiid species that are currently identified solely on differences of host plant is emphasized.

Host-Plant Specific Feeding Relationships and Insect Developmental Stage Modulate the Impact of Rainfall on Diamondback Moth Larvae

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Mahbubur Rahman ◽  
Myron P Zalucki ◽  
Michael J Furlong
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Chinese Cabbage ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Larval Mortality ◽  
Diamondback Moth ◽  
Feeding Site ◽  
Feeding Sites ◽  
Leaf Surfaces ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Oviposition Sites

Abstract The impact of simulated rainfall on diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), larvae depends on their stage-specific feeding behavior, physical characteristics, and host plants. Neonates released at typical oviposition sites on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis L. [Brassicales: Brassicaceae]) plants moved less (3–72 cm) and spend shorter periods (>1 h) than it has been previously reported for common cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. [Brassicales: Brassicaceae]) (>80 cm and >3 h, respectively) before establishing feeding sites. On both host plants, larvae spent longer on the abaxial surfaces of leaves and were more likely to establish mines there than on the adaxial surfaces. On Chinese cabbage plants, ≈40% of neonates were removed when exposed to rainfall (5.6 cm/h for 3 min) within 5 min of release. Larval losses decreased rapidly as the interval between release and rainfall exposure increased and exposure to rainfall 2 h after release did not affect survival. On common cabbage plants, ≈65% of neonates were removed when exposed to rainfall within 30 min of release, losses decreased as the interval between release and rainfall exposure increased, but they decreased more slowly than on Chinese cabbage, and rainfall caused significant larval mortality up to 4 h after release. Rainfall also affected later instar larvae (susceptibility: 2nd> 3rd = 4th) but neither the susceptibility of these larvae nor that of pupae was affected by the host plant. Wet leaf surfaces disrupted movement and feeding site establishment by neonates. When dislodged from plants on to the surface of wet soil, most later stage larvae could relocate host plants, but most neonates could not.

scholarly journals Assessing the Role of Developmental and Environmental Factors in Chemical Defence Variation in Heliconiini Butterflies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ombeline Sculfort ◽  
Melanie McClure ◽  
Bastien Nay ◽  
Marianne Elias ◽  
Violaine Llaurens
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Chemical Defence ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Chemical Defences ◽  
Larval Host ◽  
In Captivity

AbstractChemical defences in animals are both incredibly widespread and highly diverse. Yet despite the important role they play in mediating interactions between predators and prey, extensive differences in the amounts and types of chemical compounds can exist between individuals, even within species and populations. Here we investigate the potential role of environment and development on the chemical defences of warningly coloured butterfly species from the tribe Heliconiini, which can both synthesize and sequester cyanogenic glycosides (CGs). We reared 5 Heliconiini species in captivity, each on a single species-specific host plant as larvae, and compared them to individuals collected in the wild to ascertain whether the variation in CG content observed in the field might be the result of differences in host plant availability. Three of these species were reared as larvae on the same host plant, Passiflora riparia, to further test how species, sex, and age affected the type and amount of different defensive CGs, and how they affected the ratio of synthesized to sequestered compounds. Then, focusing on the generalist species Heliconius numata, we specifically explored variation in chemical profiles as a result of the host plant consumed by caterpillars and their brood line, using rearing experiments carried out on two naturally co-occurring host plants with differing CG profiles. Our results show significant differences in both the amount of synthesized and sequestered compounds between butterflies reared in captivity and those collected in the field. We also found a significant effect of species and an effect of sex in some, but not all, species. We show that chemical defences in H. numata continue to increase throughout their life, likely because of continued biosynthesis, and we suggest that variation in the amount of synthesized CGs in this species does not appear to stem from larval host plants, although this warrants further study. Interestingly, we detected a significant effect of brood lines, consistent with heritability influencing CG concentrations in H. numata. Altogether, our results point to multiple factors resulting in chemical defence variation in Heliconiini butterflies and highlight the overlooked effect of synthesis capabilities, which may be genetically determined to some extent.

Network structure of interactions between phytophagous mites and their host-plants in natural ecosystems in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 821-832
Author(s):  
Walter Santos De Araújo ◽  
Érica Vanessa Durães De Freitas ◽  
Luana Teixeira Silveira ◽  
Rodrigo Damasco Daud
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Phytophagous Mites ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
Selection Of

Phytophagous mites represent a diverse group of Arachnida, however, the patterns of their interactions with their host plants remain little explored. Herein we compare structural patterns of plant-phytophagous mite networks of forest and open habitats in Brazil. We adopted network size, network connectance and network modularity to characterize plant-mite network structure. We analyzed 11 plant-mite networks composed by 106 mite species, 96 host-plant species, and 342 distinct interactions. Tetranychidae and Eriophyidae were the most speciose mite families while Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae were the most relevant host-plant families, hosting 67 and 16 mite species, respectively. We did not find any differences in network size and modularity between biomes and habitat types. However, network connectance was lower for open vegetation habitats than for forest habitat networks. Open areas can constrain the selection of defensive traits by plant species, leading phytophagous mites to consume plant species more selectively, which generates low connectivity in networks of these environments. The small number of plant-mite networks described here highlights the need for more efforts to increase knowledge about plant mites in Brazilian natural vegetation.

The effect of Frankia isolates from Comptoniaperegrina and Alnuscrispa on the growth of Alnusglutinosa, A. cordata, and A. incana clones

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 758-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey O. Dawson ◽  
Soon-Hwa Sun
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Growth Increment ◽  
Stem Diameter ◽  
The Other ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Stem Diameter Growth ◽  
Selection Of

Three Alnus clones, one each of A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., A. cordata (Lois.) Desg., and A. incana (L.) Ait., were inoculated with Frankia isolates from root nodules of Comptoniaperegrina (L.) Coult. and A. crispa var. mollis Fern. Both Frankia isolate and Alnus clone contributed significantly to postinoculation height and diameter growth of plants in nitrogen-free culture, while interaction between isolate and clone was not statistically significant (α = 0.05). All combinations of host plants and isolates yielded nodules that were effective in fixing nitrogen as evidenced by the ability of nodules to reduce acetylene to ethylene. Alnus plants inoculated with the Comptonia isolate grew in height at a rate 1.9 times that of Alnus plants inoculated with the A. crispa isolate, while more than doubling the stem diameter growth increment of plants inoculated with the A. crispa isolate. The A. glutinosa clone grew at least four times as rapidly in height and at least twice as rapidly in diameter as the other two Alnus clones after inoculation with Frankia isolates. Results indicate that potential exists for the improvement of growth rates of Alnus and other Frankia-nodulated plants by selection of both Frankia isolates and host plant genotypes for specific environments.

scholarly journals Determinants of Within-Patch Microdistribution and Movements of Endangered Butterfly Coenonympha Oedippus (Fabricius, 1787) (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)

Hacquetia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatjana Čelik ◽  
Branko Vreš ◽  
Andrej Seliškar
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Continuous Distribution ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Oviposition Sites ◽  
Patch Network ◽  
Selection Of

Determinants of Within-Patch Microdistribution and Movements of Endangered Butterfly Coenonympha Oedippus (Fabricius, 1787) (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) The within-patch microdistribution and movements of adults of the critically endangered butterfly, Coenonympha oedippus, were studied using mark-recapture data from an isolated patch network, which consisted of 8 patches in central Slovenia. The impact of patch characteristics on both parameters was analyzed. Males fly longer distances and spend more time flying than females. The distances and seasonal pattern of male movements were dependent on the patch size, and on the microdistribution and density of freshly emerged (receptive) females. The spatial and temporal pattern of female microdistribution was influenced by vegetation height, the homogeneity of host plant stands and the shading of the ground and/or the lowest parts of herb layer. In the case of near continuous distribution of host plants within a patch, the structure of herb vegetation appears to be the major determinant of adult microdistribution. It affects the dynamics of butterfly emergence and the selection of oviposition sites. The per cent cover of the nectar plant, Potentilla erecta, does not play an important role in butterfly microdistribution.

scholarly journals Ornamental plantings of Arbutus unedo L. facilitate colonisations by Charaxes jasius (Linnaeus, 1767) in Madrid province, central Spain

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Cancela ◽  
Sasha Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Central Spain ◽  
North Central ◽  
The Past ◽  
Larval Host ◽  
Juvenile Stages ◽  
Larval Host Plants

The distribution of butterfly species is limited by availability of larval host plants growing in suitable climatic conditions. The Two-tailed Pasha, Charaxesjasius (Linnaeus, 1767), is a Mediterranean butterfly with only sporadic historical records in Madrid, Spain’s most central province, where the host plant is uncommon and winters are colder than in most parts of the butterfly’s range. We show the first evidence of juvenile stages of the species in two towns of north-central Madrid and compile records of C.jasius from Madrid over the past four decades. Our results suggest that, in the absence of widespread host plants, C.jasius is using suburban ornamental plantings of its host plant to colonise a region which may be becoming more climatically suitable.

scholarly journals Behavior and oviposition preferences of a black-veined white, Aporia crataegi (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jugovic ◽  
A. Kržič
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Single Female ◽  
Crataegus Monogyna ◽  
Oviposition Preferences ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Prunus Mahaleb ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Oviposition Sites

We studied the behavior and oviposition preferences in Aporia crataegi. The study was conducted in a network of dry karst meadows with hedgerows consisted mainly of host plants (Crataegus monogyna; Prunus spinosa, Prunus mahaleb, Rosa sp.) between them. We recorded 15 different behaviours that we divided into six categories: (1) behaviours connected to flight (9 different behaviors), resting (2 behaviors); and (3) feeding, (4) courtship, (5) copula and (6) oviposition with one behaviour each. Males proved to spend most of their time on wings patrolling, while females were more sedentary, but still actively flying and searching for nectar sources and oviposition sites. Differences in behaviour between the sexes were less prominent during the morning but increased during the midday and afternoon, as the males became more active but females were resting and feeding more, probably after searching for host plants and egg-laying earlier in the day. Most commonly, C. monogyna was chosen for oviposition by females, but we found a single oviposition site on P. mahaleb as well. Females lay their eggs in clusters of an average size (AVG±SD/SE) of 34.4±12.8/2.05 eggs, and from a single to up to seven oviposition sites were recorded per host plant. Since the number of eggs in each recorded plant with four or more oviposition sites exceeded an upper limit of eggs laid by a single female reported in literature, females either can lay more eggs or more than one female chose the same host plant. Occupied host plants had similar characteristics as the ones occupied with larvae; females preferably choose smaller shrubs, exposed to the sun with a high percentage (>50%) of a leaf litter coverage underneath them.

Confirmation of the Presence of Melitaea Ornata Christoph, 1893 (lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Croatia and Bosnia And Herzegovina with Its Host-plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
Peter Russell ◽  
Jim Pateman
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
First Year ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Egg Masses ◽  
Larval Frass ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Uk

Various localities in Croatia were visited in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to search for Melitaea ornata Christoph, 1893, which had been reported previously from six locations. Three of these sites were visited in May 2015 and found to be damp meadows and thus most unsuitable for M. ornata. In May 2016 and June 2017, another location (Mt. Sniježnica), given by Koren & Ŝtih (2013) was visited. In 2016, a plant very similar to a known host-plant of M. ornata, Onopordum illyricum L., was found to have been eaten extensively, with copious amounts of larval frass present; however, no larvae were present and no adults seen. In 2017, a male and two females resembling M. ornata were captured at two different locations on this mountain. Also in 2017, a location in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina approximately 8 km southsoutheast of Trebinje (Herzegovina) and 10 km north of Mt. Sniježnica was visited, where a further M. ornata -like female was captured and two egg masses were collected from first year plants of Carduus collinus Waldst. & Kit., the host-plant used by M. ornata in Slovenia. These were returned to the UK and some reared through to adults and confirmed as Melitaea ornata . The butterfly species seen in the Zagreb district, Mt. Sniježnica and Herzegovina are listed.

scholarly journals Host Plant Chemical Mediation of Heliothis Reproductive Behavior

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Landolt ◽  
Ezra Dunkelblum ◽  
Robert R. Heath ◽  
Moshe Kehat
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Heliothis Virescens ◽  
Helicoverpa Zea ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Crop Plants ◽  
Plant Chemicals ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
Oviposition Sites

Phytophagous insects respond to chemicals from their host plants in a number of ways, including orientation or attraction in response to volatiles produced by plants. Orientation to odors from host plants may occur in order to locate food, mates, or oviposition sites. A detailed understanding of these behaviors are the chemical stimuli evoking them may provide useful means for attracting and trapping insect pests of crop plants. Heliothine moths (Helicoverpa and Heliothis herein) include a number of major pests of cultivated crop plants throughout the world. In North America, these include Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea. In much of Eurasia (including Israel) Australia, and Africa, these include Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa peltigera. These 4 species of concern all are attracted to odorants from host plants (Tingle and Mitchell 2992, Mitchell et al 1991, 1992 BARD feasibility study report). Host plant chemicals also play a role in the sexual behavior of Helicoverpa species. Synthesis and possibly release of sex pheromone in H. zea and H. phloxiphaga is stimulated by kairomones from hosts plants (Raina 1988, 1992). Pheromona scent marking on host plants also occurs in H. virescens and H. zea. Studies of several other insects, including the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni, have a variety of other behaviors may occur in association with host plants, including the use of plants as sexual rendesvous sites and of direct involvement of plant chemicals in sexual behavior. Some pest species of moths also may use host plants as adult food sources. These studies were undertaken to develop a more thorough understanding of how Heliothis/Helicoverpa moths use host plant odorants to locate and select foods, mates, and oviposition sites. We used Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea in Florida, and Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa peltigera in Israel as objects of study because of their pest status. It is hoped that such an understanding will provide direction for work to discover and develop novel means to control these pests through behavioral manipulation. The specific objectives of the proposal were to 1) identify host odor affects on known Heliothine sexual behavior, 2) identify novel sexual behavior that is how dependent, 3) isolate and characterize host kairomones important to pest Heliothine host and mate-location behavior, and 4) investigate female attraction to males.

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