Article
Ecology
Susu Rytteri, Mikko Kuussaari, Marjo Saastamoinen
Summary: Climate change impacts insects, particularly the phenological shifts between herbivore insects and their host plants. Microclimatic conditions and weather affect larval survival and growth differently, with the warmest microclimates supporting faster growth. Additionally, early warm weather can cause asynchrony between butterfly larvae and host plants, potentially leading to population dynamic effects on a larger scale.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fausto Machado-Silva, Leonardo F. Peres, Celia M. Gouveia, Alex Enrich-Prast, Roberta B. Peixoto, Jose M. C. Pereira, Humberto Marotta, Pedro J. F. Fernandes, Renata Libonati
Summary: Research has shown that the net primary productivity in the Amazon basin is influenced by the combined impacts of individual droughts and post-drought effects on ecosystem recovery. Ecosystems undergoing recovery after extreme droughts exhibit approximately 13% lower NPP compared to pre-drought conditions or undisturbed areas. The deficits in NPP have consistently increased with extreme droughts of 2005, 2010, and 2015 due to the magnitude of disturbances and length of recovery.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Songkai Liao, Haoyu Lin, Jiajin Wang, Qi Wang, Hongjian Wei, Hui Chen
Summary: This study investigates the host preference of Perina nuda (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) on different banyan tree species and finds that larval feeding preference changes with instar and feeding experience.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Emily H. Mooney, Audrey C. Fahland, Hailee A. Nolan, Abbey M. Swift, Robert Schorr
Summary: This study investigates how host-plant flowering phenology shapes a facultative ant-lycaenid mutualism. The results suggest that early-stage inflorescences enhance larval growth while reducing ant recruitment.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Paul M. Severns, Melinda Guzman-Martinez
Summary: Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, a critically endangered species in northwestern North America, is facing a threat from an invasive plant pathogen that is causing the death of its primary food plant, English plantain, during the winter months. The invasion has disrupted the eco-evolutionary foodplant interactions and poses a risk of extinction to butterfly populations. Despite the presence of a native larval food plant Collinsia parviflora, it is rare in Taylor's checkerspot habitat and may only be suitable for Washington populations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nathan L. Haan, M. Deane Bowers, Jonathan D. Bakker
Summary: The study found that despite largely switching to a novel exotic host and generally performing better on it, the population of Taylor's checkerspot butterflies has retained breadth in preference and ability to use other hosts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Marcio Romero Marques Carvalho, Joao Vasconcellos-Neto
Summary: The preference-performance hypothesis suggests that female insects choose to oviposit on plants that optimize larval development. This study evaluated the use of Solanum host plants by female butterflies and the performance of larvae reared on different Solanum species. Results showed that female butterflies preferred to oviposit on S. robustum, and larvae reared on S. robustum or S. scuticum had the highest performance, indicating a positive relationship between oviposition preference and larval performance in M. polymnia casabranca.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Qi-Qi Hu, Xin-Yue Yu, Xiao-Feng Xue, Xiao-Yue Hong, Jian-Ping Zhang, Jing-Tao Sun
Summary: This study found that spider mites cannot locate suitable host plants from a long distance by volatile odours, but they can use a combination of olfactory and gustatory senses to select suitable host plants at a short distance. The similarity in perceiving suitable host plants among spider mite species is highly correlated with their phylogenetic relationships.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lewis Greenstein, Christen Steele, Caz M. Taylor
Summary: The preference-performance hypothesis explains host specificity in phytophagous insects, but the components of host specificity are non-binary and not necessarily correlated. Our study classified host plants for monarch butterflies and found that cardenolide concentration is an important predictor of host status.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yukari Mochioka, Motoaki Kinoshita, Makoto Tokuda
Summary: Female individuals of the lycaenid butterfly A. bazalus tend to lay eggs on old host foliage rather than fresh growth, possibly to avoid displacement by conspecific larvae. Eggs on fresh leaves are more likely to be displaced by larvae, supporting the interference hypothesis. This behavior may be an evolutionary strategy of A. bazalus to ensure the survival of their offspring.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anika Neu, Michael Beaulieu, Klaus Fischer
Summary: Plastic behavioural adjustments are powerful mechanisms for animals to respond to environmental changes, such as modifying resource use in challenging conditions. This study investigated how female Bicyclus anynana butterflies could enhance reproductive performance by adjusting host plant use in response to different temperature regimes. Results showed that reproductive performance decreased under hot conditions, particularly when butterflies only had access to low-quality plants. However, despite this, individuals did not increase selectivity towards higher-quality plants in response to the temperature changes.
Article
Ecology
Anika Neu, Stefan Loetters, Linda Noerenberg, Martin Wiemers, Klaus Fischer
Summary: The study found that the rapid range expansion of the butterfly Pieris mannii was mainly due to the evolution of a broader dietary niche rather than climate change, highlighting the importance of species interactions in shaping species distributions and range shifts.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
De-Li Zhai, Philippe Thaler, Yiqi Luo, Jianchu Xu
Summary: This study quantified the effects of both phenological and meteorological factors on rubber powdery mildew disease, identifying winter mean temperature and the duration of leaf development to maturation as the most influential variables. The controlling role of winter temperature on the infection level of powdery mildew was discovered for the first time, suggesting that continued winter warming may lead to increased infection levels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kara Fikrig, Noah Rose, Nathan Burkett-Cadena, Basile Kamgang, Paul T. T. Leisnham, Jamie Mangan, Alongkot Ponlawat, Sarah E. E. Rothman, Tanise Stenn, Carolyn S. S. McBride, Laura C. C. Harrington
Summary: Laboratory and field studies reveal that the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus can transmit over twenty different pathogens, but its vectorial capacity remains unclear due to gaps in knowledge about its feeding behavior. To address this, researchers compared the innate host preference of Ae. albopictus to that of Ae. aegypti. The study found that differences in feeding patterns of Ae. albopictus are likely not driven by innate host preference, but rather by differences in host availability. This research provides insights into the differential vectorial capacity and human feeding risk of Ae. albopictus.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohammed A. Khallaf, Medhat M. Sadek, Peter Anderson
Summary: Unlike mammals, most invertebrates do not provide direct parental care, making the selection of an appropriate oviposition site crucial. Little is known about how females evaluate opportunities and threats during host selection. In this study, we examined oviposition choice in Spodoptera littoralis, a polyphagous pest, between two plants of different nutritional quality. We found that females prefer to lay their eggs on the host plant with inferior larval development and more natural enemies, but lower predation rates. The behavior of predators and the attraction to herbivore-induced volatiles play a role in enemy-free space, rather than predator abundance.
Article
Entomology
Nikhil K. Advani, Camille Parmesan, Michael C. Singer
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Kumar Mainali, Bharat Babu Shrestha, Ravi Kumar Sharma, Arjun Adhikari, Eliezer Gurarie, Michael Singer, Camille Parmesan
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Review
Entomology
Michael C. Singer
Summary: The author discusses two types of problems in the review: professional difficulties caused by studying unique butterfly oviposition preferences and scientific challenges concerning the complex dimensions of insect preference and host acceptability interaction. The use of video and developed preference-testing techniques are crucial in providing credible evidence, while uncertainties in experimental designs are acknowledged.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY, VOL 66, 2021
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michael C. Singer, Camille Parmesan
Summary: As species' poleward range limits expand under climate change, generalists are expected to expand their ranges faster than specialists. Through long-term studies, it has been found that colonization events can lead to an increase in diet breadth as a result of preference diversification among individuals, potentially caused by cryptic genetic variation or host shifts. Range expansions can lead to increases in population-level diet breadths and may drive specialization, influencing the persistence of populations at expanding range margins.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Camille Parmesan, Michael C. Singer
Summary: Studies on birds and trees have shown that climatic stresses are distributed within species' ranges, not just at the limits of their ranges. This study on the butterfly Euphydryas editha reveals that geographic mosaics of natural selection cause some central populations to evolve to the limits of climatic tolerance, while others remain resilient. The findings have important implications for conservation planning, as adaptive evolution can reduce population-level resilience to climate change.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gladys Barragan-Jason, Claire de Mazancourt, Camille Parmesan, Michael C. Singer, Michel Loreau
Summary: The study shows a positive correlation between high levels of human-nature connectedness (HNC) and pro-nature behaviors, as well as better health outcomes. Additionally, interventions involving contact with nature and mindfulness practices lead to significant increases in HNC.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kumar P. Mainali, Eric Slud, Michael C. Singer, William F. Fagan
Summary: This study proposes an index alpha that is insensitive to the prevalences of entities and demonstrates its effectiveness through reanalyzing published datasets. The use of alpha instead of traditional co-occurrence indices leads to significantly different biological inferences.
Article
Biology
Maren Wellenreuther, Rachael Y. Dudaniec, Anika Neu, Jean-Philippe Lessard, Jon Bridle, Jose A. Carbonell, Sarah E. Diamond, Katie E. Marshall, Camille Parmesan, Michael C. Singer, Janne Swaegers, Chris D. Thomas, Lesley T. Lancaster
Summary: Evolutionary change plays a significant role in the expansion or contraction of geographic ranges for insect pests, pollinators, or disease vectors. However, these effects are often overlooked in management efforts. Improved study design, innovative technologies, and comprehensive approaches are needed to understand the causes and consequences of ecoevolutionary dynamics in insect range shifts. Future efforts should incorporate demographic and evolutionary changes in forecasts and develop management strategies that maximize or minimize the adaptive potential of range-shifting insects, benefiting biodiversity and ecosystem services.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kalle Tunstrom, Christopher W. Wheat, Camille Parmesan, Michael C. Singer, Alexander S. Mikheyev
Summary: In this study, a highly contiguous and complete assembly of the E. editha genome was generated using a combination of genomic technologies, providing valuable resources for studying the genetic basis of adaptive responses to environmental change.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Gladys Barragan-Jason, Michel Loreau, Claire de Mazancourt, Michael C. Singer, Camille Parmesan
Summary: Despite the numerous benefits that the connectedness of humans with nature brings, health and conservation policymakers have not fully taken these benefits into consideration. There is a lack of comprehensive overview due to scattered studies across various disciplines. This systematic review focused on recent meta-analyses and found consistent conclusions, indicating that both physical and psychological connection with nature have positive impacts on human well-being and attitudes towards nature conservation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Camille Parmesan, Michael C. Singer, Brian Wee, Sasha Mikheyev
Summary: Climate change reinvigorates debates on the relative roles of taxonomic, genetic, and phenetic criteria in conservation prioritization and the role of hybrids in biodiversity assessments. Rapid climate change requires a shift in conservation prioritization towards selecting populations with appropriate phenotypes for climate adaptation and preferences for host and habitat. The example of a climate-sensitive butterfly, Euphydryas editha, illustrates the importance of considering evolutionary preferences and the potential for hybridization in conservation efforts.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kumar Mainali, Subodh Adhikari, Sushila Shrestha, Michael C. Singer, Joseph White, Camille Parmesan
Summary: As plant species expand their distribution under global warming, Rhododendron campanulatum encountered novel conditions when expanding its elevational range limit in the Eastern Himalayas. Contrary to expectation, plants at a lower elevation experienced colder temperatures and longer snow cover compared to conspecifics at treeline, likely explaining the smaller leaves at treeline. Survival was reduced more by downslope movement, potentially due to extreme cold temperatures at treeline in spring. Species at the elevational limit displayed asymmetric adaptation, being more tolerant of extremes in the growing season but less in winter and early mid-spring.