scholarly journals Host plant specificity and feeding preferences of Morpho epistrophus argentinus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) larvae in coastal woodlands of Argentina

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Mariana Carro ◽  
Mariela V. Lacoretz ◽  
María Cecilia De Mársico ◽  
Gustavo J. Fernández

The selection of suitable host plants for larval development is critical for most herbivorous insects. In this study, we examined host plant preferences of larvae of the Epistrophus white morpho butterfly, Morpho epistrophus argentinus (H. Fruhstorfer), a specialized butterfly that oviposits on a few plant species. In many species, the selection of host plant species for larvae development is under the control of ovipositing females and the role of larvae in host selection is minimal. Through field observations, we characterized larval host plant use in coastal woodland patches of its southernmost distribution range at eastern Buenos Aires, Argentina. All sampled M.e. argentinus larvaegroups (n = 40) were found on Scutia buxifolia trees, although the number of larval groups did not correlate with cover of this plant at patch scale. To further examine host plant preferences we performed translocation experiments and feeding choice assays. M.e. argentinus larvae translocated to unsuitable host plants had a shorter residence time than those translocated to suitable (i.e. control) hosts. Choice assays also indicated strong feeding preferences of wild larvae for S. buxifolia leaves. Our results highlight the high degree of host specificity of this butterfly, and reveal that host preference of growing larvae matches that of ovipositing females.

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 821-832
Author(s):  
Walter Santos De Araújo ◽  
Érica Vanessa Durães De Freitas ◽  
Luana Teixeira Silveira ◽  
Rodrigo Damasco Daud

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.


Author(s):  
Marcin W. Zielonka ◽  
Tom W. Pope ◽  
Simon R. Leather

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.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4802 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-334
Author(s):  
GAMZE KARACA ◽  
YUSUF KATILMIŞ

Field surveys were carried out to determine the richness of the Cynipidae fauna of Kazdağı National Park, located on the border of Edremit county (Balıkesir province, Turkey). Gall samples of cynipids were collected or photographed on Quercus and Rosa host plants. As a result, 53 cynipid species belonging to 3 different tribes were found or observed in the surveyed area. 14 and 8 species were recorded as new for the Cynipidae fauna of Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces respectively, including the first locality record of Andricus hystrix Trotter, 1897 for Turkey. In addition, color photos of reared cynipid wasps from their galls and the observed cynipid galls on their host plant species are presented. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 999-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Barringer ◽  
Claire M Ciafré

Abstract The spotted lanternfly Lycorma delicatula (White) is an invasive insect spreading throughout southeast Asia and eastern North America. The rapid spread of this species is facilitated by the prevalence of its preferred host, tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle), as well as its use of many other host plants. While the spotted lanternfly has been previously reported to use over 65 plant species, most of these reports are from Asia and may not be applicable in North America. Additionally, many of the known hosts have not been specified as feeding hosts or as egg laying substrates. To better understand the potential impacts of this invasive insect on natural and cultivated systems in North America, we reviewed records from published and unpublished results and observations of host plant use by spotted lanternfly. We aggregated 172 host plant records worldwide and found feeding behaviors associated with 103 plant taxa across 33 families and 17 orders, 20 of which were not previously known to be associated with SLF and 15 of which were not confirmed as feeding hosts. North American records account for 56 of these taxa which include native, cultivated, and nonnative species. As a result, the spotted lanternfly has the potential to impact a wide assortment of ecosystems throughout its potential range and its North American distribution may not be limited by the presence of tree of heaven.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. e20195904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Das Neves Ribeiro ◽  
Maria Isabel Protti de Andrade Balbi ◽  
Maria Virginia Urso-Guimarães

Herein, we studied the occurrence of insect galls from natural vegetation around the Itambé Cave, Altinópolis, SP, Brazil. A sampling effort of 7.5 hours resulted in 41 gall morphotypes on 21 host plant species from 14 families. The richest families of host plants in morphotypes were Fabaceae (N = 11), Euphorbiaceae (N = 7), and Malpighiaceae (N = 5). Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (N = 8), Croton floribundus Spreng. (N = 7), Diplopterys pubipetala (A. Juss.) W.R. Anderson & C.C. Davis (N = 5), and Bauhinia holophylla (Bong.) Steud. (N = 4) were the super host plant species. Among the gall makers obtained, cecidomyiids were reared in 81% of cases and Hemiptera (Diaspididae), Hymenoptera (Eurytomidae), Coleoptera (Apion sp./Apionidae), and Lepidoptera in 4.5% of cases, each. The parasitoids belong to the Chalcidoidea superfamily (Hymenoptera). One new species of Camptoneuromyiia (Cecidomyiidae) was found in Smilax oblongifolia Pohl ex Griseb. (Smilacaceae) as inquiline and a new species of Lestodiplosis in Diplopterys pubipetala (Malpighiaceae) was a predator. We also present the first register of Bauhinia holophylla as host plants of Cecidomyiidae, and we expand the occurrence of Rochadiplosis tibouchinae Tavares and Couridiplosis vena to São Paulo State. The results of this paper are a continuation of the description of gall morphotypes from the vegetation in Northeastern São Paulo State, and they also increase knowledge about the diversity of host plant and gall-maker associations in the Neotropical region.


1969 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 787-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. S. Harley ◽  
R. K. Kunimoto

Results are presented of a study of the host specificity of Plagiohammus spinipennis (Thorns.) under conditions that emphasised the behaviour of the insect in the field in the presence of an abundance of its host-plant, Lantana cantata. The results of this and previous studies are compared.The adult beetles fed on various test plants but had little or no deleterious effect. Oviposition was restricted to the insect’s normal host, L. camara, and to Cordia ambigua, G. grandiflora, G. curassavica, Lippia umbellata, Lippia sp. (? miocephala), Tectona grandis and Vernonia deppeana. Of these, only T. grandis is of commercial importance. Larvae were unable to complete their development on this plant and died after feeding briefly. Development by larvae of P. spinipennis was restricted to a small group of mostly related, unimportant plant species as well as the serious weed L. camara.P. spinipennis thus shows a high degree of host specificity, and was therefore liberated for control of Lantana camara in Australia in 1967.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
Hendrival Hendrival ◽  
Purnama Hidayat ◽  
Ali Nurmansyah

The study of host range and population dynamic of B. tabaci in red chili pepper fiel dswas conducted in Sub-district of Pakem, District of Sleman, Province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta during dry season of May-October 2009. The study of host plants of B. tabaci from the red chili pepper fields revealed that there were 27 species of host plants belong to 22 genera of 13 families including crops and weeds. The host plants belong to families of Araceae, Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Capparidaceae, Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papilionaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae and Sterculiaceae. The host plant families of Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae had the most abundant population of B. tabaci. Geminivirus-like symptoms were found in the weeds of A. conyzoides and A. boehmerioides. Population of B. tabaci adults correlated with abundance of host plant species found in the red chili pepper fields. The population of B. tabaci in red chili pepper fields was affected by natural enemy population. Population dynamic of the parasitoid Eretmocerus sp. correlated with population dynamic of the parasitized nymph of B. tabaci. Parasitoid Eretmocerus sp. was potentially good in controlling population of B. tabaci nymph in red chili pepper fields.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.S. Nagrare ◽  
Bhausaheb Naikwadi ◽  
Vrushali Deshmukh ◽  
S. Kranthi

Abstract The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an invasive pest of cotton, apart from several other important crops, and poses a serious threat to agricultural economy all over the world. Studies on the biology and population growth parameters of P. solenopsis on the five most preferred host plants, namely cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (Malvaceae), China rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) (Malvaceae), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) (Solanaceae), congress grass (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) (Asteraceae) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) (Malvaceae) were undertaken in the laboratory under controlled temperature and relative humidity. The mean cumulative development time of females was 16.61 days on cotton, 14.16 days on China rose, 14.13 days on okra, 14.00 days on tomato and 13.57 days on congress grass. The longest oviposition period was recorded on cotton (15.20 ± 1.87 days), while it was in the range of 9-10 days in the remaining host plants. Females lived longer (27.40 ± 1.76 days) when reared on cotton, while their life was shortest on tomato (14.60 ± 0.96 days). The highest fecundity was observed on cotton (328.30 ± 23.42), whereas it was found to be in the range 178-212 on the other hosts. The survival frequency from crawler to adult in females was highest on cotton (27.53%), while it was the lowest on tomato (15.87%). The highest net reproductive rate (284.3 females/female/generation), mean length of a generation (31.24 days), and intrinsic rate of increase (0.19 day−1) were recorded on cotton. The finite rate of increase was in the range of 1.18-1.20 (females/female/day) for all the selected host plants. The weekly multiplication rate was highest on China rose and congress grass (3.78), while it was the least on tomato (3.28). The corrected generation time was dissimilar in all the selected host plants, being highest on cotton (31.39 days) and the least on congress grass (27.71 days). The doubling time was shortest on congress grass (3.61 days), while it was longest on tomato (4.11 days). Hence, the host plant species significantly affects population growth of P. solenopsis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Karlsson Green ◽  
Benjamin Houot ◽  
Peter Anderson

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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