Article
Entomology
Mitja Mocilar, Klemen Jerina, Rudi Verovnik
Summary: Extensively used wet meadows with high species diversity in Europe are threatened by anthropogenic pressure. Prolonged flooding, increasing in frequency, is emerging as an additional threat to this fragile environment. This study investigated the impact of prolonged flooding on the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of a host ant species essential for the survival of an endangered butterfly species. The results highlight the importance of considering flooding as a major threat to the endangered species due to its negative effects on the host ant population.
Article
Entomology
Magdalena Witek, Valentina La Morgia, Luca Pietro Casacci, Francesca Barbero
Summary: The study found that the parasitic relationship between Maculinea butterflies and Myrmica ants needs to consider host colony features and spatial distribution in order to conserve these endangered species.
Article
Agronomy
Annie-Eve Gagnon, Guy Boivin, Suzanne Blatt
Summary: The study aimed to find host-plant essential oils that can attract carrot weevil adults and improve trapping efficiency in the field. Results showed that in a greenhouse experiment, only caraway essential oil demonstrated significant attraction, while in field tests, using caraway essential oil did not increase carrot weevil catch compared to regular baited traps with fresh carrots.
Article
Ecology
James P. Michielini, Xianfeng Yi, Leone M. Brown, Shan Ming Gao, Colin Orians, Elizabeth E. Crone
Summary: Understanding the circumstances under which insect herbivores will adopt a novel host plant is a longstanding question in ecology. This study found that both individual preference and regional differences in the insect and non-native host contribute to the geographic variation in host plant use.
Article
Ecology
Nora Villamil, Karina Boege, Graham N. Stone
Summary: Ant guards do not affect pollinator community composition, but decrease flower visit duration and reduce pollen deposition and exports, while significantly increasing outcross pollen transfer.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nandita Nataraj, Elisabeth Adam, Bill S. Hansson, Markus Knaden
Summary: Insects often exhibit flower or oviposition constancy by preferring plants they have previously interacted with, which may increase their efficiency. Studies have shown that female hawkmoths will prefer the same plant species for oviposition after just one previous experience, indicating the presence of oviposition constancy.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Rachel A. Steward, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Carol L. Boggs
Summary: Introductions of novel plant species can disrupt the resource environment of herbivorous insects, leading to selection for or against the novel host. This study on Pieris macdunnoughii butterflies in the Rocky Mountains found evidence of sex-linked genetic variation in host preference, contrary to previous predictions. The study also suggested that chemicals might not be the primary driver for female choice of host plants.
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
Plant Sciences
Francisco Ruben Badenes-Perez
Summary: This study investigated the association between glucosinolate content in host plants and oviposition and larval survival in Pieris rapae. The results showed that indolic glucosinolate content had a positive effect on oviposition preference and larval survival. However, the effects of glucosinolate complexity index and aliphatic glucosinolates without sulfur-containing side chains on total oviposition were smaller for P. rapae compared to Plutella xylostella.
Article
Horticulture
Francisco Ruben Badenes-Perez, David G. Heckel
Summary: Based on the experiments conducted, the diamondback moth, a major pest of cruciferous crops, does not show preference for the abaxial or adaxial leaf surfaces or for host plants based on their diet. However, larval preference is influenced by glucosinolate content, indicating that crops with higher glucosinolate content are more susceptible to damage by the diamondback moth. These findings are significant in the management of this pest.
Article
Entomology
Hui Zhu, Jun Fu, Han Wang, Michael J. Bidochka, Mingyi Duan, Wenjing Xu, Li Sui, Bingzhong Ren, Qiyun Li, Zhengkun Zhang
Summary: Studies have shown that the endophytic EPF Beauveria bassiana can affect the oviposition selection of Asian corn borer. However, the survival rate of Asian corn borer larvae, pupae, and adults is lower on B. bassiana-colonized maize plants, which is correlated with lower plant nitrogen content.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
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.
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
Entomology
Vanitha Subramani, Kamala Jayanthi Pagadala Damodaram, Ramegowda Goravale Krishnegowda, Saravan Kumar Parepally, Vivek Kempraj, Raghava Thimmappa, Shivashankara Kodthalu Seetharamaiah, Sridhar Vaddi, Lingaiah Hookunda Boregowda
Summary: The South American leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, shows a preference for ovipositing on tomato compared to other solanaceous hosts. Tomato plant volatiles are attractive to the female moths, while certain compounds in other host plants may deter oviposition. Overall, the volatile cues play a key role in guiding the host selection process of Tuta absoluta.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Mateus R. Campos, Edwige Amiens-Desneux, Philippe Bearez, Marianne A. Soares, Luigi Ponti, Antonio Biondi, James D. Harwood, Nicolas Desneux
Summary: The South American tomato pinworm has the potential to develop on alternative host plants, especially in low temperature environments. Long-term exposure to low temperatures affects the survival of the pest, but even at lower temperatures, its survival on tomato plants exceeds that on alternative host plants.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2021)