Phenotypic plasticity in host plant preference of the willow leaf beetle Phratora vulgatissima: the impact of experience made by adults. (27th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Austel, Nadine; Björkman, Christer; Hilker, Monika; Meiners, Torsten
• Is Part Of: Agricultural and forest entomology. Volume 16:Number 4(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 417
• Page End: 425
• Publication Date: 2014-05-27
• Subjects: Insect pests -- Control -- Periodicals; Agricultural pests -- Control -- Periodicals; Forest insects -- Control -- Periodicals; 632.7
• DOI: 10.1111/afe.12071
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-9555

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="afe12071-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="afe12071-para-0001"> <list id="afe12068-list-0001" list-type="order"> <list-item> <p>Knowledge of the plasticity of <italic>Phratora vulgatissima</italic> (Colepotera: Chrysomelidae) behavioural responses to cues of its willow host plants is essential for understanding host affiliations of this species and for developing management strategies.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>We investigated how the experience obtained by adult <italic>P. vulgatissima</italic> with two different willow species shapes olfactory, feeding and oviposition preferences in the laboratory. The willow species differed in their leaf odours and phenolic glycoside contents.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Females that had experienced <italic>Salix viminalis</italic> (Salicaceae) neither discriminated between odours of <italic>S. viminalis</italic> and <italic>Salix dasyclados</italic>, nor between blends of green leaf volatiles (GLV) that mimic quantitatively those released by <italic>S. viminalis</italic> and <italic>S. dasyclados</italic><italic>.</italic> However, when females had experienced <italic>S. dasyclados</italic>, they preferred the experienced odour of <italic>S. dasyclados</italic> and the respective GLV blend to the odour of <italic>S. viminalis</italic> or its GLV blend.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>By contrast, regardless of their experience obtained in the adult stage, females preferred <italic>S. viminalis</italic> over <italic>S. dasyclados</italic> for feeding and oviposition.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Exposure of beetles to odour of stands with various willow species might affect the experience‐induced olfactory preference for a single species and thus impair host location success.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>