Effects of Larval Host Plant Species on Fecundity of the Generalist Insect HerbivoreEnnomos subsignarius(Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

To maximise fitness, individuals may apply different reproductive strategies. Such strategies could be phenotypically plastic and vary depending on the environment. For example, when resources are limited females often face a trade-off between investing in offspring quantity and quality, and how she balances this trade-off may depend on the environment. For phytophagous insects, and especially generalist insects, variation in host plant quality could have large effects on mating, reproduction and offspring performance. Here, we study if the polyphagous moth Spodoptera littoralis, which selects host plants through experience-based preference induction, also has a flexible allocation between egg weight and egg number as well as in temporal egg-laying behavior depending on larval host plant species. We found that S. littoralis has a canalized egg size and that an increased reproductive investment is made in egg quantity rather than egg quality. This increased investment depends on larval host plant species, probably reflecting parental condition. The constant egg weight may be due to physiological limitations or to limited possibilities to increase fitness through larger offspring size. We furthermore found that differences in onset of egg-laying is mainly due to differences in mating propensity between individuals raised on different host plant species. Thus, females do not seem to make a strategic reproductive investment in challenging environments. Instead, the low-quality host plant induces less and later reproduction, which could have consequences for population dynamics in the field.

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Metabolic fingerprints reveal how an insect metabolome is affected by different larval host plant species

Arthropod-Plant Interactions ◽

10.1007/s11829-019-09671-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 571-579

Author(s):

A. C. Riach ◽

M. V. L. Perera ◽

H. V. Florance ◽

L. A. Robinson ◽

S. D. Penfield ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Plant Species ◽

Host Plant Species ◽

Larval Host

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Canopy insect herbivores in the Azorean Laurisilva forests: key host plant species in a highly generalist insect community

Ecography ◽

10.1111/j.0906-7590.2005.04104.x ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 315-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Sérvio P. Ribeiro ◽

Paulo A. V. Borges ◽

Clara Gaspar ◽

Catarina Melo ◽

Artur R. M. Serrano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Plant Species ◽

Insect Herbivores ◽

Insect Community ◽

Host Plant Species ◽

Generalist Insect

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Effect of host plant on the life history of the carnation tortrix moth Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485321000493 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Marcin W. Zielonka ◽

Tom W. Pope ◽

Simon R. Leather

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Host Plant ◽

Plant Species ◽

Host Plants ◽

Crop Protection ◽

Plant Production ◽

Pupal Weight ◽

Production Environment ◽

Host Plant Species ◽

The Uk

Abstract The carnation tortrix moth, Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Hübner, [1799]) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is one of the most economically important insect species affecting the horticultural industry in the UK. The larvae consume foliage, flowers or fruits, and/or rolls leaves together with silken threads, negatively affecting the growth and/or aesthetics of the crop. In order to understand the polyphagous behaviour of this species within an ornamental crop habitat, we hypothesized that different host plant species affect its life history traits differently. This study investigated the effects of the host plant species on larval and pupal durations and sizes, and fecundity (the number of eggs and the number and size of egg clutches). At 20°C, 60% RH and a 16L:8D photoperiod larvae developed 10, 14, 20 and 36 days faster when reared on Christmas berry, Photinia (Rosaceae), than on cherry laurel, Prunus laurocerasus (Rosaceae), New Zealand broadleaf, Griselinia littoralis (Griseliniaceae), Mexican orange, Choisya ternata (Rutaceae), and firethorn, Pyracantha angustifolia (Rosaceae), respectively. Female pupae were 23.8 mg heavier than male pupae, and pupal weight was significantly correlated with the duration of larval development. The lowest and the highest mean numbers of eggs were produced by females reared on Pyracantha (41) and Photinia (202), respectively. Clutch size differed significantly among moths reared on different host plants, although the total number of eggs did not differ. This study showed that different ornamental host plants affect the development of C. pronubana differently. Improved understanding of the influence of host plant on the moth's life history parameters measured here will help in determining the economic impact that this species may have within the ornamental plant production environment, and may be used in developing more accurate crop protection methodologies within integrated pest management of this insect.

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The effects of host plant species and larval density on immune function in the polyphagous moth Spodoptera littoralis

Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1002/ece3.7802 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kristina Karlsson Green

Keyword(s):

Immune Function ◽

Host Plant ◽

Plant Species ◽

Spodoptera Littoralis ◽

Larval Density ◽

Host Plant Species

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The relationship among host plant species, egg clutch size, and level of parasitism for the sharpshooter Tapajosa rubromarginata

Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata ◽

10.1111/eea.12988 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 168 (12) ◽

pp. 900-910

Author(s):

Eduardo G. Virla ◽

María B. Aguirre ◽

Guido A. Van Nieuwenhove ◽

Erica B. Luft Albarracin ◽

Guillermo A. Logarzo

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Clutch Size ◽

Plant Species ◽

Host Plant Species ◽

The Relationship

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Influence of prey size and environmental factors on predation by Podisus maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on viburnum leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/n07-021 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 140 (2) ◽

pp. 192-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Gaylord A. Desurmont ◽

Paul A. Weston

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Plant Species ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Handling Time ◽

Leaf Beetle ◽

Podisus Maculiventris ◽

Viburnum Opulus ◽

Host Plant Species ◽

Search Area ◽

Rate Of Increase

AbstractExperiments were conducted under laboratory conditions to determine the influence of the relative sizes of predator and prey, temperature, presence of refugia, size of the search area, and host-plant species on the predation performance of Podisus maculiventris (Say) nymphs against viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull), a new landscape pest in North America that feeds on the foliage of species of Viburnum L. (Caprifoliaceae). Predator handling time was positively correlated with body mass of the prey for all instars of P. maculiventris, but the rate of increase of handling time relative to prey mass decreased as predator age increased. Temperature was positively correlated with predation rates, but the presence of refugia did not have an impact on predation. The influence of host-plant species and size of the search area was tested on southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum L.) and American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus L. var. americanum Aiton). There was a significant interaction between plant species and size of the search area, the species effect becoming significant as leaf surface area increased. In the case of southern arrowwood a negative correlation between size of the search area and predation rate was also detected. The identification of these factors adds valuable knowledge for using P. maculiventris as a biological-control agent against P. viburni.

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