Oviposition preference in the oligophagous tomato fruit fly, Neoceratitis cyanescens

We assessed the role of visual and olfactory cues on oviposition preference in the oligophagous tomato fruit fly, Neoceratitis cyanescens (Bezzi) (Diptera: Tephritidae). In a field survey, we evaluated the stage of susceptibility of field‐grown tomatoes by monitoring N. cyanescens infestations from fruit‐setting up to harvest, in relation to post‐flowering time, size, and visual properties of fruit. In two‐choice laboratory experiments, we tested the degree to which females use visual and olfactory cues to select their host plant for oviposition. In addition, we investigated the ability of flies to avoid fruit already infested by conspecific eggs or larvae, and the influence of natal host fruit on oviposition preference. Neoceratitis cyanescens females preferentially lay their eggs in small yellow‐green unripe fruit (2–3.5 cm diameter, 10–21 days post‐flowering). Damage to fruit was significantly affected by brightness and size properties. In laboratory experiments, females chose to lay their eggs in bright orange rather than yellow domes. On the sole basis of olfactory stimuli, females showed a significant preference for unripe vs. ripe host fruit, for unripe fruit vs. flowers or leaves, and for host vs. non‐host fruit (or control). However, colour interacted with odour as females dispatched their eggs equally between the yellow dome and the bright orange dome when unripe fruit of tomato was placed under the yellow dome vs. ripe fruit under the bright orange dome. When offered real ripe and unripe tomatoes, females preferred unripe tomatoes. Females significantly chose to lay eggs in non‐infested fruit when they were given the choice between these or fruit infested with larvae. In contrast, recent stings containing eggs did not deter females from laying eggs. Rather, they could have an attractive effect when deposited within <1 h. Regardless of their natal host plant, tomato or bugweed, N. cyanescens females laid significantly more eggs in a dome containing bugweed fruit. However, 15% of females originating from tomato laid eggs exclusively in the dome with tomato, against 3% of females originating from bugweed.     

PREFERENCE HIERARCHIES AND THE ORIGIN OF GEOGRAPHIC SPECIALIZATION IN HOST USE IN SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES

Four allopatric populations of the widely distributed western anise swallowtail butterfly, Papilio zelicaon, use different plant genera as hosts, but simultaneous choice experiments showed that these populations have diverged only slightly in oviposition preference. Of the four populations—two from southeastern Washington State, one from coastal southwestern Washington State, and one from central California—three use hosts that are not available to any of the others. Although variation for the degree of preference for particular plant species occurred within and among populations, all four populations ranked hosts in the same overall order. Monophagy on a local, low-ranking host outside the range of high-ranking hosts did not necessarily lead to the loss of preference for those high-ranking hosts, thereby indicating that the high-ranking hosts would still be accepted, and in some cases even preferred, if a population encountered them again. Hence, the overall preference hierarchy among P. zelicaon populations appears to be evolutionarily conservative. Analyses of differences among families within the California population indicated that increased preference for some hosts is inversely correlated, whereas preference for other hosts may be uncorrelated. Positive correlations may also occur but were not observed among the plant species tested. Overall, the results indicate local monophagy on different plant species in P. zelicaon has not involved major reorganizations in the preference hierarchy of ovipositing females, even in populations that may have fed on a low-ranking host for many generations. Instead, small increases in preference for local hosts have occurred within an evolutionarily conservative preference hierarchy.     

Frequency-dependent sexual selection

Sexual selection by female choice is expected to give rise to a frequency-dependent sexual advantage in favour of preferred male phenotypes: the rarer the preferred phenotypes, the more often they are chosen as mates. This 'rare-male advantage' can maintain a polymorphism when two or more phenotypes are mated preferentially: each phenotype gains an advantage when it is rarer than the others; no preferred phenotype can then be lost from the population. Expression of preference may be complete or partial. In models of complete preference, females with a preference always mate preferentially. Models of partial preference are more realistic: in these models, the probability that a female mates preferentially depends on the frequency with which she encounters the males she prefers. Two different 'encounter models' of partial preference have been derived: the O'Donald model and the Charlesworth model. The encounter models contain the complete preference model as a limiting case. In this paper, the Charlesworth model is generalized to allow for female preference of more than one male phenotype. Levels of frequency dependence can then be compared in the O'Donald and Charlesworth models. The complete preference model and both encounter models are formulated in the same genetical terms of preferences for dominant and recessive male phenotypes. Polymorphic equilibria and conditions for stability are derived for each of the three models. The models are then fitted to data of frequencies of matings observed in experiments with the two-spot ladybird. The complete preference model gives as good a fit as the encounter models to the data of these and other experiments. The O'Donald and Charlesworth encounter models are shown to produce a very similar frequency-dependent relation. Generally, as females become less choosy, they express their preference with more dependence on male frequency, whereas the resulting selection of the males becomes less frequency dependent. More choosy females are more constant in expressing their preference, producing greater frequency dependence in the selection of the males.     

Population level correlation between pre-alighting and post-alighting host plant preference in the Glanville fritillary butterfly

1. In many populations of the Glanville fritillary butterfly Melitaea cinxia, ovipositing females exhibit a post‐alighting preference for one of the potential host plant species available. The work reported here aimed to establish whether females with different post‐alighting preferences can discriminate between their host plant species prior to alighting, and whether pre‐alighting and post‐alighting preferences are correlated at the population level. 2. Alighting and oviposition events were recorded for groups of females from six populations in greenhouse and field experiments. 3. Landing frequencies did not change with experience, indicating that M. cinxia females did not learn from previous encounters with host plants. 4. Females from populations exhibiting post‐alighting preference searched efficiently for their host plants in the sense that they landed mainly on the species on which they oviposited predominantly. Pre‐alighting and post‐alighting preferences were correlated at the population level. 5. The correlation between pre‐alighting and post‐alighting preferences helps to explain why in nature, where the host plants often occur in distinct patches, females are more likely to colonise habitat patches in which their preferred host plant is abundant.     

Host-plant use in the range expansion of the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa

Abstract.  1. During range expansions of phytophagous insects, secondary or novel hosts may allow colonisation of areas without primary hosts. Because plant species often differ in their relative attractiveness and suitability for insects, insect preference for, and performance on, these hosts can determine recruitment potential in the current and future expansion areas.
2. This study explores the relative roles of female preference and larval performance in an important pine defoliator, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae), which colonises three Pinus species at its current range margin in the Italian Alps: P. nigra (primary host), P. sylvestris (secondary host), and P. mugo (novel host).
3. Host use patterns in multiple insect populations were studied through choice and no-choice oviposition experiments in cages, field surveys of mixed stands, and laboratory and field monitoring of larval growth and mortality. It was predicted that a specific life-history trait – time limitation of short-lived females to lay a single batch of eggs – would act as a component of female performance, and lead to similar rates of host acceptance in no-choice settings.
4. In the choice experiment, P. nigra was accepted the most frequently while P. sylvestris was accepted the least frequently, confirming nest density patterns in the field. Contrary to prediction, females remained discriminating in no-choice settings in spite of time limitation. In contrast, relative growth rate (RGR) and mortality of larvae did not differ significantly among the three hosts, highlighting a discrepancy between female preference and larval performance.
5. Recruitment potential of T. pityocampa in future expansion into stands of P. sylvestris and P. mugo is evaluated by combining host quality, conservatism in oviposition behaviour, habitat suitability, and the opportunity for local adaptation.     

Host plant selection behaviour of Chilo partellus and its implication for effectiveness of a trap crop

Female lepidopterans can display a hierarchy of preference among potential host species, a trait thought to arise from the balance between attractants and deterrents to which the insects respond. Host plant ranking by moths and larvae of Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), an important pest of cereals in Africa, was investigated, and whether eggs deposited on specific host plants yield larvae of particular host preferences. Trap plants are used in management of this pest. However, any ‘disagreement’ in host ranking between moths and larvae could potentially reduce effectiveness of trap crops as larvae emigrate to the main crop from the parent’s preferred trap plant. We also investigated whether host plant preference is influenced by the diet upon which larvae fed as part of an integrated assessment of the relationship between host plant selection and learning in C. partellus. Five host plants (all Poaceae) were used: maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench), Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), and two varieties of signal grass [Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich.) Stapf], viz., local (henceforth signal grass) and improved (‘Mulato’). In multiple choice tests, C. partellus female moths preferentially oviposited on Napier grass, followed by sorghum, maize, and signal grass, and least preferred ‘Mulato’. Larvae however equally orientated and settled on leaf cuts of maize, sorghum, signal grass, and Napier grass, but least preferred ‘Mulato’. Moreover, eggs from specific host plants did not yield larvae of particular host preferences. Furthermore, oviposition preference was not altered by the larval food. These results imply only a slight ‘disagreement’ in host ranking behaviour between moths and larvae, which is beneficial for trap cropping as larvae would not ‘reject’ the trap plant and appreciably disperse to the neighboring plants. Moreover, absence of larval learning behaviour indicates that regardless of the larval food C. partellus moths would still be attracted to the selected trap plant.     

Oviposition strategy of the parasitic waspDinarmus basalis (Hymenoptera,Pteromalidae)

Summary Host type choice and sex allocation were examined using the solitary parasitic waspDinarmus basalis (Pteromalidae, Hymenoptera) parasitizing larvae or pupae of the bean weevilCallosobruchus chinensis (Bruchidae, Coleoptera) within azuki beans (Vigna angularis). The wasps were offered two types of host; one was hard for the mother to lay eggs in, but was more beneficial for the offspring; the other was easy for the mother to lay eggs in, but was less beneficial for the offspring. The two types of host were one large host (17-day old host) in one bean and 6 small hosts (12-, or 13-day old hosts) in one bean. The same number of each host was presented at the same time to female wasps. The wasps accepted more 17-day old hosts than 12-day old hosts, and more 13-day old hosts than 17-day old hosts in each pair-wise choice experiment. The proportions of accepted host types were different from the proportions predicted by optimization models of random prey encounter with known or unknown prey densities. The wasps showed partial preference of host types. Incomplete information about prey densities, and about the costs and benefits of the two types of host may have generated the partial preference. Two predictions of host sizemodels, that (1) there should be a negative relationship between host size and offspring sex ratio (proportion of male offsprings), and (2) the sex ratio in each size host changes with the relative frequency of each size host utilized, were qualitatively supported.     

Innate preference hierarchies coupled with adult experience,rather than larval imprinting or transgenerational acclimation,determine host plant use in Pieris rapae

The evolution of host range drives diversification in phytophagous insects, and understanding the female oviposition choices is pivotal for understanding host specialization. One controversial mechanism for female host choice is Hopkins’ host selection principle, where females are predicted to increase their preference for the host species they were feeding upon as larvae. A recent hypothesis posits that such larval imprinting is especially adaptive in combination with anticipatory transgenerational acclimation, so that females both allocate and adapt their offspring to their future host. We study the butterfly Pieris rapae, for which previous evidence suggests that females prefer to oviposit on host individuals of similar nitrogen content as the plant they were feeding upon as larvae, and where the offspring show higher performance on the mother's host type. We test the hypothesis that larval experience and anticipatory transgenerational effects influence female host plant acceptance (no‐choice) and preference (choice) of two host plant species (Barbarea vulgaris and Berteroa incana) of varying nitrogen content. We then test the offspring performance on these hosts. We found no evidence of larval imprinting affecting female decision‐making during oviposition, but that an adult female experience of egg laying in no‐choice trials on the less‐preferred host Be. incana slightly increased the P. rapae propensity to oviposit on Be. incana in subsequent choice trials. We found no transgenerational effects on female host acceptance or preference, but negative transgenerational effects on larval performance, because the offspring of P. rapae females that had developed on Be. incana as larvae grew slower on both hosts, and especially on Be. incana. Our results suggest that among host species, preferences are guided by hard‐wired preference hierarchies linked to species‐specific host traits and less affected by larval experience or transgenerational effects, which may be more important for females evaluating different host individuals of the same species.     

Interpatch movement of the red milkweed beetle,Tetraopes tetraophthalmus: individual responses to patch size and isolation

Individual movement patterns and the effects of host plant patch size and isolation on patch occupancy were examined for red milkweed beetles, Tetraopes tetraophthalmus, residing in a heterogeneous landscape. Male beetles were found to move both more often and farther between host plant patches than female beetles, and this difference affected the patterns of patch occupancy observed. Overall, unoccupied milkweed patches were smaller and more isolated than patches occupied by beetles. Patches uninhabited by females tended to be more isolated, but not necessarily smaller, than patches with female beetles, indicating that females may be affected more by patch isolation than patch size. Presence of male beetles on patches showed a stronger response to patch size than to patch isolation. Differences in movement between males and females illustrate the need for demographically based dispersal data. Comparisons of Tetraopes interpatch movement patterns between landscapes composed of patches of different size revealed that landscapes with overall smaller patches may have greater rates of interpatch movement.     

Vestiges of an ancestral host plant: preference and performance in the butterfly Polygonia faunus and its sister species P. c‐album

1. In the study of the evolution of insect–host plant interactions, important information is provided by host ranking correspondences among female preference, offspring preference, and offspring performance. Here, we contrast such patterns in two polyphagous sister species in the butterfly family Nymphalidae, the Nearctic Polygonia faunus, and the Palearctic P. c‐album. 2. These two species have similar host ranges, but according to the literature P. faunus does not use the ancestral host plant clade – the ‘urticalean rosids’. Comparisons of the species can thus test the effects of a change in insect–plant associations over a long time scale. Cage experiments confirmed that P. faunus females avoid laying eggs on Urtica dioica (the preferred host of P. c‐album), instead preferring Salix, Betula, and Ribes. 3. However, newly hatched larvae of both species readily accept and grow well on U. dioica, supporting the general theory that evolutionary changes in host range are initiated through shifts in female host preferences, whereas larvae are more conservative and also can retain the capacity to perform well on ancestral hosts over long time spans. 4. Similar rankings of host plants among female preference, offspring preference, and offspring performance were observed in P. c‐album but not in P. faunus. This is probably a result of vestiges of larval adaptations to the lost ancestral host taxon in the latter species. 5. Female and larval preferences seem to be largely free to evolve independently, and consequently larval preferences warrant more attention.     

Extinction-colonization dynamics and host-plant choice in butterfly metapopulations

Species living in highly fragmented landscapes often occur as metapopulations with frequent population turnover. Turnover rate is known to depend on ecological factors, such as population size and connectivity, but it may also be influenced by the phenotypic and genotypic composition of populations. The Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) in Finland uses two host-plant species that vary in their relative abundances among distinct habitat patches (dry meadows) in a large network of approximately 1,700 patches. We found no effect of host species use on local extinction. In contrast, population establishment was strongly influenced by the match between the host species composition of an empty habitat patch and the relative host use by larvae in previous years in the habitat patches that were well connected to the target patch. This "colonization effect" could be due to spatially variable plant acceptability or resistance or to spatially variable insect oviposition preference or larval performance. We show that spatial variation in adult oviposition preference occurs at the relevant spatial scale and that the other possible causes of the colonization effect can be discounted. We conclude that the colonization effect is generated by host preference influencing the movement patterns of ovipositing females. Migrant females with dissimilar host preferences have different perceptions of relative patch quality, which influences their likelihood of colonizing patches with particular host composition.     

VARIATION IN PREFERENCE AND SPECIFICITY IN MONOPHAGOUS AND OLIGOPHAGOUS SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES

Although variation in oviposition preference and specificity for host plants has been demonstrated within populations of a variety of oligophagous insect species, it is unknown whether genetic variation in host choice is lost within populations of monophagous species. Analysis of a locally monophagous butterfly species, Papilio oregonius, and a locally oligophagous species, P. zelicaon, showed significant variation in oviposition preference within populations of both species. Females of both species chose primarily their native hosts. Nonetheless, the percentages of eggs laid by individual females among the plant species and the number of plant species on which individual females laid eggs differed significantly among isofemale strains within populations. Moreover, some females within all isofemale strains of both species laid a few eggs on Foeniculum vulgare, an umbelliferous species that does not occur in the native habitats of these populations but is a host for Papilio species in other geographic areas. The results suggest that local monophagy and oligophagy in these species reflect the relative ranking among potential plant species. Both populations harbor variation in oviposition choice that could allow for host shifts if these populations invaded new habitats.     

The influence of host plant variation and intraspecific competition on oviposition preference and offspring performance in the host races of Eurosta solidaginis

1. A series of experiments was conducted to measure the impact of plant genotype, plant growth rate, and intraspecific competition on the oviposition preference and offspring performance of the host races of Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae), a fly that forms galls on Solidago altissima and Solidago gigantea (Asteraceae). Previous research has shown that both host races prefer to oviposit on their own host plant where survival is much higher than on the alternate host plant. In this study, neither host race showed any relationship between oviposition preference and offspring performance in choosing among plants of their natal host species. 2. The larval survival of both host races differed among plant genotypes when each host race oviposited on its natal host species. In one experiment, altissima host race females showed a preference among plant genotypes that was not correlated with offspring performance on those genotypes. In all other experiments, neither the altissima nor gigantea host race demonstrated a preference for specific host plant genotypes. 3. Eurosta solidaginis had a preference for ovipositing on rapidly growing ramets in all experiments, however larval survival was not correlated with ramet growth rate at the time of oviposition. 4. Eurosta solidaginis suffered high mortality from intraspecific competition in the early larval stage. There was little evidence, however, that females avoided ovipositing on ramets that had been attacked previously. This led to an aggregated distribution of eggs among ramets and strong intraspecific competition. 5. There was no interaction among plant genotype, plant growth rate, or intraspecific competition in determining oviposition preference or offspring performance.     

烟粉虱对四种蔬菜寄主的选择性

为探讨利用趋避作用防治烟粉虱的可能性,进行了3方面试验：1）烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) 对黄瓜、花椰菜、油菜和莴苣等4种蔬菜的寄主选择性; 2）互喷烟粉虱不同嗜好的寄主植物汁液对其寄主选择性的影响; 3）不同间作方式对黄瓜叶上烟粉虱成虫密度的影响。结果表明,烟粉虱对供试植物有明显的选择性,其嗜好程度为花椰菜>黄瓜>油菜>莴苣。喷施莴苣和花椰菜汁液对烟粉虱的寄主选择性均有显著影响,喷施莴苣原液后,花椰菜和黄瓜上的成虫数分别减少79.6%和87.4%,花椰菜上的着卵量减少84.3%;喷施花椰菜原液后,莴苣上的成虫数和着卵量分别增加82.4%和79.2%,表明不同蔬菜中的内含物是引起烟粉虱对寄主选择性的重要原因。在黄瓜中间作莴苣可使黄瓜叶上烟粉虱成虫数平均减少76.5%;间作花椰菜时,通过诱集作用,也可使黄瓜叶上的成虫数平均降低69.7%。这些结果为利用喷施蔬菜汁液和间作方式控制烟粉虱危害提供了理论依据。     

Butterfly–host plant synchrony determines patterns of host use across years and regions

Variation in the degree of synchrony among host plants and herbivores can disrupt or intensify species interactions, alter the strength of natural selection on traits associated with phenological timing, and drive novel host plant associations. We used field observations from three regions during four seasons to examine how timing of the butterfly herbivore Anthocharis cardamines relative to six host plant species (Arabis hirsuta, Cardamine pratensis, Arabis glabra, Arabidopsis thaliana, Thlaspi caerulescens and Capsella bursa‐pastoris) influenced host species use and the choice of host plant individuals within populations. Butterflies laid a larger fraction of their eggs on species that were closer to the butterfly's preferred stage of development than on other host species. Within host plant populations, butterflies showed a stronger preference for individuals with a late phenology when plants within the population were on average more developed at the time of butterfly flight. Our results suggest that changes in synchrony between herbivores and their host plants are associated with changes in both host species use and the choice of host plant individuals differing in phenology within populations. This is likely to be an important mechanism generating variation in interaction intensities and trait selection in the wild, and therefore also relevant for understanding how anthropogenic induced changes, such as global warming, will influence natural communities.     

Oviposition specificity in single vs. cluster egg-laying butterflies: a discrimination phase in Colias eurytheme?

Summary Oviposition preferences and rates of the pierid butterfly Colias eurytheme were examined in laboratory tests. Oviposition rates with only a non-preferred host plant present were not lower than rates observed when both preferred and non-preferred hosts were present. There was no correlation between strength of preference in simultaneous choice tests and the extent to which oviposition rate declined when the preferred host was absent. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that butterflies which lay their eggs singly will accept non-preferred hosts for oviposition more readily than cluster egg-layers.     

Behavioral differences between hawthorn-origin and apple-originRhagoletis pomonella flies in patches of host trees

We compared patterns of patch residence and oviposition ofRhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) females that originated as larvae from hawthorn or apple trees and were released into patches of host trees containing hawthorn or apple fruit in an open field. There were no detectable differences between hawthorn-origin females in patches of hawthorns and apple-origin females in patches of apples in numbers of females observed on food, fruit or foliage or in numbers of eggs laid in fruit during the course of the 7-h experimental period. Apple-origin females in patches of hawthorns behaved similarly to hawthorn-origin females in patches of hawthorns. In contrast, hawthorn-origin females in patches of apples differed significantly from apple-origin females in patches of apples. The former were observed on fruit only 40% as often and laid only 20% as many eggs before departing a patch. Our findings support the hypothesis of G. L. Bush thatR. pomonella flies of hawthorn and apple origin represent distinct host races.     

Plasticity in the egg-spacing behavior of a seed beetle: Effects of host deprivation and seed patchiness (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Egg-laying females of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatusdiscriminate between egg-free and egg-laden seeds and produce a nearly uniform distribution of eggs among seeds. We examined plasticity in this trait in response to both an internal factor (level of host deprivation) and an environmental one (the spatial configuration of available seeds). Responses to each factor were measured in genetically divergent strains that show a relatively strong (S strain) or weak (B strain) tendency to spread eggs evenly among seeds. Following a modest (10-h) period of host deprivation, S-strain females distributed their eggs less uniformly among seeds; the proportion of females committing at least one oviposition mistake increased from 20 to 50%. Similarly, S-strain females distributed their eggs less uniformly if seeds were presented in multiple, discrete patches instead of in a single, large patch. The higher frequency of oviposition mistakes in the multiple-patch arena was caused in part by females maintaining a uniform distribution of eggs within patches but not among patches. In contrast, females from the sloppier B strain were unaffected by either host deprivation or resource dispersion. Responses to seed patchiness are discussed in relation to the role of learning in the egg-spacing behavior of C. maculatus.     

Conserved oviposition preferences in alpine leaf beetle populations despite host shifts and isolation

Abstract.  1. Choosing the plant on which to lay their eggs is the last act of care that most female herbivorous insects bestow upon their offspring. These decisions play a pivotal role in insect–plant interactions, placing host preference under strong selection and contributing to the diversity of phytophagous insects as one of the first traits to adapt to new hosts.
2. This study presents a test of whether extreme isolation and exposure to different host plants can produce intra-specific divergence in oviposition preference in alpine insects. Geographic variation should impose selection to fine-tune host plant ranking and specificity to the plants normally encountered, to avoid wasting time during the very limited reproductive season experienced at high altitudes.
3. Beetles from five populations of Oreina elongata differing in host availability were offered three natural hosts: Cirsium spinosissimum , Adenostyles alliariae , and Adenostyles glabra . A novel application of a continuation ratio model (logistic regression) was made to sequential no-choice experiments, combined with quasi-likelihood analysis of multiple-choice experiments.
4. The results show little geographic variation in host plant choice: all populations strongly preferred Cirsium in multiple-choice trials, and in no-choice experiments laid around 47% of their remaining eggs during each stage, almost regardless of the host present.
5. Enemy-free space seems to explain the preference for Cirsium , but isolation and exposure to different plants has clearly not caused local adaptation in host plant ranking or specificity. Reasons for this conservatism despite divergence in other characteristics are discussed.     

Phenological matching rather than genetic variation in host preference underlies geographical variation in host plants used by orange tip butterflies

An insect species that shows variation in host species association across its geographical range may do so either because of local adaptation in host plant preference of the insect or through environmentally or genetically induced differences in the plants, causing variation in host plant suitability between regions. In the present study, we experimentally investigate the host plant preference of Anthocharis cardamines (orange tip butterfly) in two populations from the UK and two from Sweden. Previous reports indicate that A. cardamines larvae are found on different host plant species in different regions of the UK, and some variation has been reported in Sweden. Host plant choice trials showed that females prefer to oviposit on plants in an earlier phenological stage, as well as on larger plants. When controlling for plant phenological stage and size, the host species had no statistically significant effect on the choice of the females. Moreover, there were no differences in host plant species preference among the four butterfly populations. Based on our experiment, the oviposition choice by A. cardamines mainly depends on the phenological stage and the size of the host plant. This finding supports the idea that the geographical patterns of host–plant association of A. cardamines in the UK and Sweden are consequences of the phenology and availability of the local hosts, rather than regional genetic differences in the host species preference of the butterfly.