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Nectar-providing plants enhance the energetic state of herbivores as well as their parasitoids under field conditions
- Source :
- Ecological Entomology, 34(2), 221-227. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Ecological Entomology 34 (2009) 2, Ecological Entomology, 34(2), 221-227
- Publication Year :
- 2009
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2009.
-
Abstract
- 1. The use of flowering vegetation has been widely advocated as a strategy for providing parasitoids and predators with nectar and pollen. However, their herbivorous hosts and prey may exploit floral food sources as well. 2. Previous laboratory studies have shown that not all flower species are equally suitable in providing accessible nectar. Relatively little is known about actual nectar exploitation under field conditions. 3. The present study investigates nectar exploitation by the pest, Plutella xylostella, and its parasitoid, Diadegma semiclausum, under field conditions and examines whether floral nectar exploitation in the field can be predicted based on controlled laboratory studies. 4. Insects were collected from fields bordered by flowering margins containing Fagopyrum esculentum, Lobularia maritima, Anethum graveolens, Centaurea jacea or the grass Lolium perenne (control). Whole insect bodies were individually assayed by HPLC to establish their sugar profile as a measure of the level of energy reserves and the degree of food source use. 5. The average overall sugar content of P. xylostella and D. semiclausum collected in fields bordered by flowering margins was significantly higher than those of individuals collected from grass-bordered control plots. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first demonstration that nectar-providing plants enhance the energetic state of herbivores under field conditions. 6. In contrast to earlier laboratory studies, the present study did not find elevated sugar contents in P. xylostella and D. semiclausum individuals collected from fields bordered by buckwheat (F. esculentum). 7. The present study shows widespread sugar feeding by both the herbivore and its parasitoid. It also shows that laboratory studies establishing nectar exploitation under controlled conditions can not always be extrapolated to actual exploitation under field conditions. This emphasises the importance of studying field-collected insects with regard to food source use and nutritional status.
- Subjects :
- Sector Fruit
Honeydew
Applied Plant Research, Fruit Research Unit
Biological pest control
Applied Plant Research
natural enemies
medicine.disease_cause
Predation
Nectar source
food source
oligosaccharides
Pollen
Botany
medicine
Nectar
insects
Lobularia maritima
Herbivore
Ecology
biology
biological-control
biology.organism_classification
Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving, Sector Fruit
Agronomy
Insect Science
Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving
Fruit Research Unit
lepidoptera
pests
resources
management
honeydew
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 13652311 and 03076946
- Volume :
- 34
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Ecological Entomology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a11dcb6656e4e8bb11da6e7ae735f6ad