Soil nutrient effects on oviposition preference,larval performance,and chemical defense of a specialist insect herbivore |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Kathleen?L?PrudicEmail author Jeffrey?C?Oliver M?Deane?Bowers |
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Institution: | (1) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 334 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA;(2) Present address: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, PO Box 210088, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;(3) Present address: Interdisciplinary Program in Insect Science, University of Arizona, PO Box 210036, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA |
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Abstract: | This study examined the effects of increased leaf nitrogen in natural host-plants (Plantago spp.) on female oviposition preference, larval performance, and larval chemical defense of the butterfly Junonia coenia. Increased availability of soil nutrients caused the host-plant’s foliar nitrogen to increase and its chemical defense to
decrease. Larval performance did not correlate with increases in foliar nitrogen. Larval growth rate and survival were equivalent
across host-plant treatments. However, larvae raised on fertilized host-plants showed concomitant decreases in chemical defense
as compared to larvae reared on unfertilized host-plants. Since most butterfly larvae cannot move long distances during their
first few instars and are forced to feed upon the plant on which they hatched, J. coenia larval chemical defense is determined, in large part, by female oviposition choice. Female butterflies preferred host-plants
with high nitrogen over host-plants with low nitrogen; however, this preference was also mediated by plant chemical defense.
Female butterflies preferred more chemically defended host-plants when foliar nitrogen was equivalent between host-plants.
J. coenia larvae experience intense predation in the field, especially when larvae are not chemically well defended. Any qualitative
or quantitative variation in plant allelochemical defense has fitness consequences on these larvae. Thus, these results indicate
that females may be making sub-optimal oviposition decisions under a nutrient-enriched regime, when predators are present.
Given the recent increase in fertilizer application and nitrogen deposition on the terrestrial landscape, these interactions
between female preference, larval performance, and larval chemical defense may result in long-term changes in population dynamics
and persistence of specialist insects. |
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Keywords: | Nutrient enrichment Lepidoptera Herbivore performance Female preference Host-plant quality |
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