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Maladaptive host choice by an alien leaf miner Phyllonorycter leucographella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) has the potential to limit its invasiveness
- Source :
- European Journal of Entomology, Vol 115, Iss 1, Pp 318-325 (2018)
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Alien phytophagous insects are often introduced along with their host plants, creating opportunities for troublesome invasions. Yet, not all of them are able to successfully colonize novel host plants. In this study, we investigated host selection by the alien leaf miner Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zeller, 1850) on both its original host and novel host plants in the insect's alien range. We predicted that this insect's percentage infestation of the original host would be positively related to its specific leaf area (SLA), because high-SLA leaves are nutritious and have thin cuticles, traits related to high offspring developmental success. We further hypothesized that this host selection process would apply in the selection of novel host plants. Our results show that this leaf miner selects leaves of its original host plant, Pyracantha coccinea, according to their SLA values. The SLA value was also positively related to the probability of P. leucographella infesting and successfully developing on novel host plants. The selection of high-SLA plants by the moth leads to a high developmental success on novel host plants in the first (summer) generation, but it is likely to be maladaptive in the second (overwintering) generation, because in temperate Europe, high SLA values are associated with deciduous plants that shed their leaves in autumn. It is likely that the apparent maladaptive selection of novel host plants by P. leucographella reduces the invasiveness of this pest by preventing its establishment on native plants.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Specific leaf area
gracillariidae
Leaf miner
Introduced species
phyllonorycter leucographella
Biology
medicine.disease_cause
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
host selection
invasive species
Infestation
Botany
medicine
infestation rate
insect development
Host (biology)
fungi
food and beverages
alien leaf miner
Native plant
biology.organism_classification
010602 entomology
QL1-991
Insect Science
PEST analysis
lepidoptera
Gracillariidae
Zoology
specific leaf area
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 18028829 and 12105759
- Volume :
- 115
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European Journal of Entomology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....99ce41cd8ed6d50f37cf6be6347d263a