跳甲属昆虫的食性及其生物学意义

跳甲属昆虫广布全世界,已知300多种,体色近似,外形差异不大,分类鉴定十分困难。但其中许多种类具特殊的食性特征,其寄主植物常是分类鉴定的向导和重要参考。作者分析了已知有寄主记录的59种跳甲的寄主,并根据其寄主范围划分为5种类型:取食多科、2科、1科多属、1科2属及1科1属,而以1科1属型为最多,占67.8%。至目前所知,其寄主范围限于双子叶植物,跳甲和寄主植物之间的对应关系是跳甲的“种”对植物的“属”。值得特别关注的是寄主植物的“种”与跳甲“亚种”之间的分化关系。成虫的取食范围大于幼虫,幼虫保持原始的取食特征。跳甲的同域物种分化可能通过食性转化而进行,食性转化可能先从成虫开始。成幼食性观察是研究寄主转移的关键。     

同域分布的专食性近缘跳甲生殖隔离机制及物种形成研究取得进展

物种形成是种群间生殖隔离演化的产物,探究昆虫种间生殖隔离的机制有助于我们深入理解物种形成的模式。跳甲属（昆虫纲：鞘翅目：叶甲科）昆虫多为专食性,种间寄主隔离显著,是探讨这一问题提供了理想材料。     

论昆虫与植物的相互作用和进化的关系

昆虫与植物是陆地生物群落中最为重要的组成部分,二者间的相互作用是多方面的,其中最为重要的是昆虫选择植物作为食物和生长场所、昆虫为植物传授花粉两方面。该文集中讨论这两方面的相互作用有哪些因素与进化有密切的关系。植食性昆虫根据其寄主植物范围,通常分为专食性（寄主范围窄）和广食性（寄主范围广）。从生态关系来看,广食性的取食行为比专食性的更为有利,但实际情况却与此相反,统观植食性昆虫的取食行为,有向专食性演化更为普遍的倾向。专食性发展有利于提高昆虫对寄主植物的选择效率,还可缓和天敌作用所造成的压力。根据昆虫与植物相互作用的特点,目前已提出很多昆虫与植物的进化理论,包括成对的协同进化、弥散的协同进化、群落的协同进化以及顺序进化。在昆虫对寄主植物的选择中,以植物对昆虫的影响较昆虫对植物的影响更为重要,称为顺序进化是适宜的;昆虫为被子植物传授花粉造成互惠共生,其中的进化关系应称为协同进化。     

基于rDNA-ITS的叶甲科系统学分析

真核生物的r RNA包含18S、5.8S和28S r RNA,被统称为ITS区,已广泛用于昆虫的亲缘关系和系统发育等方面的研究。本研究将通过从NCBI的Gen Bank下载部分叶甲科昆虫的r DNA序列,经比对、建树等分析,结果显示叶甲亚科及跳甲亚科内的各个种类可以聚成一支,萤叶甲亚科没有能够聚成大的亚科分支;以天牛科昆虫作为外群,叶甲亚科先分化出来,然后再继续分化成萤叶甲亚科和跳甲亚科。研究结果显示r DNA-ITS基因可以用于叶甲科昆虫科内的系统发生研究。     

黄曲条跳甲食性的研究

黄曲条跳甲 (Ｐｈｙｌｌｏｔｒｅｔａｓｔｒｉｏｌａｔａ (Ｆａｂｒｉｃｉｕｓ) )是十字花科植物的重要害虫。据文献记载 ,黄曲条跳甲除为害十字花科植物外 ,还取食茄科(Ｓｏｌａｎａｃｅａｅ)、豆科 (Ｌｅｇｕｍｉｎｏｓａｌｅｓ)、葫芦科 (Ｃｕｃｕｒ ｂｉｔａｃｅａｅ)、禾本科 (Ｇｒａｍｉｎｚｌｅｓ)等植物[1,2 ,4 ,5] 。取食范围如此之广 ,应为多食性 (ｐｏｌｙｐｈａｇｏｕｓ)昆虫。本文拟采用十字花科的近缘科及上述各科植物对黄曲条跳甲进行非选择性取食试验 ,以确定黄曲条跳甲的食性范围。1　材料和方法1.1　供试植物甘蓝 (Ｂｒａ…     

昆虫与植物的协同进化:寄主植物-铃夜蛾-寄生蜂相互作用

近数10年内,Ehrlich和Raven于1964年提出的协同进化理论及Jermy于1976年提出的顺序进化理论极大地促进了对昆虫与植物相互作用的研究。文章首先简要介绍有关理论,对植食性昆虫与植物关系研究的若干核心问题进行评述。主要问题包括(1)植食性昆虫如何选择寄主植物?(2)植物次生物质是否作为植物防御昆虫取食的重要屏障?(3)昆虫能否适应植物的化学防御?(4)植食性昆虫寄主范围是否是从广到专演化的?随之,作者结合对铃夜蛾Helicoverpa系统研究取得的结果,对上述问题做了进一步的论证和阐述。最后,在继承协同进化、顺序进化等理论精髓的基础上,根据当今三营养级相互作用领域的研究新进展,提出一个新的假说,即多营养级协同进化假说。该假说肯定植物次生物质在植物防御和昆虫识别寄主植物上的重要作用,同时把其他营养级并列放入交互作用的系统,特别强调第三营养级在昆虫与植物关系演化过程中的参与和寄主转移与昆虫食性专化和广化的联系。     

专食性-广食性天敌比例影响入侵植物喜旱莲子草生长防御策略

外来植物从原产地到入侵地通常会经历植食性天敌选择压力的变化,其生长防御性状的快速适应性进化是成功入侵的重要机制之一。植食性天敌按食性专一性分为专食性天敌与广食性天敌,并对植物生长防御性状产生不同的选择压力。然而,在自然群落中两类植食性天敌的相对比例可能会随时间和空间的改变而改变,这些变化对入侵植物生长防御进化的影响尚不清楚。本研究以喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)为研究对象,在同质园条件下比较了原产地(阿根廷)和入侵地(中国)种群在不同专食性-广食性天敌比例处理下生长防御性状的差异。结果显示:专食性-广食性天敌比例对喜旱莲子草生长防御性状的影响无显著差异,但其与来源地之间的交互作用对生长性状中的贮藏根生物量与根冠比具有显著影响。其中入侵地种群的贮藏根生物量与根冠比随着专食性天敌比例的增加而增加,而原产地种群正好相反。通过对比原产地与入侵地种群生长防御相关性状发现,入侵地种群的总生物量(–21.4%, P=0.027)、地上生物量(–22.6%, P=0.026)、生长速率(–17.5%, P <0.001)和黄酮含量(–38.4%, P=0.0...     

根结线虫对两种不同食性昆虫生长及营养利用的影响比较

植物地上与地下植食性天敌常因同一寄主植物而发生复杂的相互作用,互作类型因天敌的食性而异。本研究以乌桕地下病害南方根结线虫、地上害虫(专食性癞皮夜蛾Gadirtha inexacta、广食性斜纹夜蛾Prodenia litura)为研究对象,比较被南方根结线虫侵染的乌桕叶片对2种不同食性昆虫生长指标(末龄幼虫体重、相对生长速率)和营养利用(取食量、消化率、转化率)的影响差异。结果表明,线虫处理组癞皮夜蛾幼虫的末龄幼虫体重、相对生长速率和转化率均显著低于对照组,而取食量和消化率无显著差异;线虫处理组斜纹夜蛾幼虫的末龄幼虫体重、相对生长速率、取食量及转化率均显著高于对照组,但消化率差异不显著。由此说明,根结线虫对两种地上昆虫生长发育和营养利用的影响受到天敌食性的影响:线虫侵染对癞皮夜蛾幼虫产生抑制效应,而对斜纹夜蛾幼虫产生促进效应。     

中国鳞翅目小蛾类昆虫寄主植物分析

本研究基于中国鳞翅目50科小蛾类昆虫的寄主植物数据,探索小蛾类昆虫与其寄主植物之间的关系。对昆虫种数与寄主植物种数之间进行了相关性分析,采用了z分数法对原始数据进行标准化处理以及利用箱式图对数据进行异常值检测,并对检测的结果分科进行食性分析。昆虫种数与寄主植物种数呈极显著正相关(P<0.01),相关系数为0.860;异常值检测结果显示蝙蝠蛾科、细蛾科、祝蛾科、织蛾科、斑蛾科、羽蛾科、卷蛾科和草螟科8科数据异常;这8科小蛾类昆虫除了织蛾科和祝蛾科以腐食性为主外都是植食性,其中植食性昆虫包括单食性的斑蛾科,寡食性的羽蛾科和细蛾科以及多食性的蝙蝠蛾科。而卷蛾科中黄卷蛾族和小卷蛾族的幼虫以多食性较为常见,花小卷蛾族幼虫则以单食性为主。草螟科中斑野螟亚科和禾螟亚科以单食性为主;草螟亚科和野螟亚科以寡食性为主。中国小蛾类昆虫与其寄主植物种数之间存在着正相关关系;研究结果为小蛾类分类研究以及农林害虫防治奠定了理论基础。     

叶甲科三亚科十三种叶甲酯酶同工酶的研究(鞘翅目,叶甲总科)

应用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳方法分析研究了叶甲科3亚科13种昆虫的酯酶同工酶.结果显示,其聚类结果与传统分类结果基本相一致,说明以酯酶同工酶作为研究手段来进行叶甲类昆虫亚科以下阶元的分类是可行的,同时也说明了它们酯酶同工酶酶谱的差异和其分类地位是一致的;但跳甲亚科和叶甲亚科先聚为一类,再与萤叶甲亚科聚为一类,与前人的研究有差异,作者认为:酯酶同工酶的编码基因可能是快进化单位,在解决亚科以下阶元的系统关系时是很好的分子标记,而对于研究叶甲科、亚科间的系统关系,就不一定很合适.     

Host‐plant use by two Orthomeria (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatini) species feeding on Macaranga myrmecophytes

Myrmecophytes depend on symbiotic ants (plant‐ants) to defend against herbivores. Although these defensive mechanisms are highly effective, some herbivorous insects can use myrmecophytes as their host‐plants. The feeding habits of these phytophages on myrmecophytes and the impacts of the plant‐ants on their feeding behavior have been poorly studied. We examined two phasmid species, Orthomeria alexis and O. cuprinus, which are known to feed on Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) myrmecophytes in a Bornean primary forest. Our observations revealed that: (i) each phasmid species relied on two closely‐related myrmecophytic Macaranga species for its host‐plants in spite of their normal plant‐ant symbioses; and (ii) there was little overlap between their host‐plant preferences. More O. cuprinus adults and nymphs were found on new leaves, which were attended by more plant‐ants than mature leaves, while most adults and nymphs of O. alexis tended to avoid new leaves. In a feeding choice experiment under ant‐excluded conditions, O. alexis adults chose a non‐host Macaranga myrmecophyte that was more intensively defended by plant‐ants and was more palatable than their usual host‐plants almost as frequently as their usual host‐plant, suggesting that the host‐plant range of O. alexis was restricted by the presence of plant‐ants on non‐host‐plants. Phasmid behavior that appeared to minimize plant‐ant attacks is described.     

Prefeeding Behavior of the Crucifer Flea Beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae, on Host and Nonhost Crucifers

The prefeeding behaviours of adult crucifer flea beetles, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), were determined on seedlings of the host plant, Brassica napus, and compared to behaviors on seedlings of the nonhost crucifers, Crambe abyssinica, Sinapis alba, and Camelina sativa. Three stages of prefeeding behaviour, i.e., acclimation, stimulation, and initial feeding, were distinguished through observation of filmed beetles. Both antennal and tarsal chemoreceptors are important in determination of host plant quality by the crucifer flea beetle. The results of this study suggest that the sequence of prefeeding behaviors plays a crucial role in the onset of feeding. Differences in time spent on plant tissue and the frequency and duration of prefeeding behaviors provide insight into possible mechanisms of resistance to flea beetles in the non-Brassica crucifers. The nonpreferred hosts C. abyssinica and S. alba contain deterrent phytochemicals that partially inhibit feeding. These deterrent compounds appear to be volatile in nature in S. alba but nonvolatile in C. abyssinica. CFB resistance in the nonhost C. sativa may result from either the presence of repellent or the absence of stimulatory volatile phytochemicals.     

A test of host-associated differentiation across the 'parasite continuum' in the tri-trophic interaction among yuccas, bogus yucca moths, and parasitoids

Parasitic taxa span an antagonistic continuum, with some parasites inflicting no fitness costs to some that kill the host after feeding. Host-associated differentiation is postulated as a major process facilitating speciation in many parasitic taxa. Here, I examined the importance of host-associated differentiation in a parasitoid wasp that develops on yucca moths in the genus Prodoxus. Prodoxus are specialists on Yucca , and moth speciation is closely tied to differences in microhabitat use within a plant and among host plant species. Parasitoids in the genus Eusandalum have been reared from Prodoxus species distributed across Yucca . Estimates of host-use patterns obtained through rearings of adult wasps were combined with surveys of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I sequence data and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers to determine if populations of Eusandalum were genetically structured based on host use. Eusandalum populations were genetically structured based on geographical distance rather than moth host species, microhabitats within plants, or Yucca species. The results are contrary to the patterns observed in the host genus Prodoxus . Although parasitoids exhibit parasite-like characteristics, these results suggest that Eusandalum may be best viewed as a predator. Female wasps are able to utilize any moth species present at a given locality, and there is little likelihood that host specialization may facilitate population subdivision and speciation.     

An altitudinal comparison of caterpillar (Lepidoptera) assemblages on Ficus trees in Papua New Guinea

Aim This analysis of caterpillar (Lepidoptera) beta‐diversity between tropical lowlands and highlands attempts to separate the effects of between‐site (1) turnover of herbivore species on particular host plants, (2) changes in host use by herbivores, and (3) turnover of plant species on changes in herbivore assemblages. Location Two rain forest areas 130 km and 1700 altitudinal metres apart were studied in Papua New Guinea: one in the lowlands (100 m a.s.l.) on the northern coast of the island and one in the central New Guinean cordillera at 1800 m a.s.l. Methods The analysis is based on caterpillar feeding records obtained by quantitative sampling and rearing of caterpillars from four Ficus species studied in the mountains and 21 Ficus species and 62 plant species from other genera and families studied in the lowlands, including three Ficus species studied in both areas. Results Only 17% of species feeding on Ficus in the highlands also occurred in the lowlands. These species represented 1–46% of individuals in caterpillar assemblages on particular Ficus hosts. Widespread species included both Ficus specialists and generalists feeding on numerous plant families. Some of the Ficus specialists changed their preferred host species with altitude. High species turnover was not explained by changes in the species composition of host plants with altitude as lowland and montane assemblages feeding on the same Ficus species showed high turnover. Despite the rarity of widespread caterpillars, the lowland and montane Ficus assemblages were remarkably similar in their dominance structure, species richness, host specificity, generic composition and familial composition. Main conclusions Ficus‐feeding Lepidoptera assemblages between tropical lowlands and highlands are characterized by substantial species turnover not explained by altitudinal changes in the composition of the vegetation. Further, species‐rich plant genera can support caterpillar assemblages with relatively low beta‐diversity compared with species‐poor genera as caterpillars can switch their host preferences from one congeneric host species to another along an altitudinal gradient. Closely related plant species can thus represent a broad, continuously distributed resource along such gradients.     

Can plant resistance to specialist herbivores be explained by plant chemistry or resource use strategy?

At both a macro- and micro-evolutionary level, selection of and performance on host plants by specialist herbivores are thought to be governed partially by host plant chemistry. Thus far, there is little evidence to suggest that specialists can detect small structural differences in secondary metabolites of their hosts, or that such differences affect host choice or performance of specialists. We tested whether phytochemical differences between closely related plant species are correlated with specialist host choice. We conducted no-choice feeding trials using 17 plant species of three genera of tribe Senecioneae (Jacobaea, Packera, and Senecio; Asteraceae) and a more distantly related species (Cynoglossum officinale; Boraginaceae) containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), and four PA-sequestering specialist herbivores of the genus Longitarsus (Chrysomelidae). We also assessed whether variation in feeding by specialist herbivores is attributable to different resource use strategies of the tested plant species. Plant resource use strategy was quantified by measuring leaf dry matter content, which is related to both plant nutritive value and to plant investment in quantitative defences. We found no evidence that intra-generic differences in PA profiles affect feeding by specialist herbivores. Instead, our results indicate that decisions to begin feeding are related to plant resource use strategy, while decisions to continue feeding are not based on any plant characteristics measured in this study. These findings imply that PA composition does not significantly affect host choice by these specialist herbivores. Leaf dry matter content is somewhat phylogenetically conserved, indicating that plants may have difficulty altering resource use strategy in response to selection pressure by herbivores and other environmental factors on an evolutionary time scale.     

Host‐associated differentiation in a highly polyphagous,sexually reproducing insect herbivore

Insect herbivores may undergo genetic divergence on their host plants through host‐associated differentiation (HAD). Much of what we know about HAD involves insect species with narrow host ranges (i.e., specialists) that spend part or all their life cycle inside their hosts, and/or reproduce asexually (e.g., parthenogenetic insects), all of which are thought to facilitate HAD. However, sexually reproducing polyphagous insects can also exhibit HAD. Few sexually reproducing insects have been tested for HAD, and when they have insects from only a handful of potential host‐plant populations have been tested, making it difficult to predict how common HAD is when one considers the entire species' host range. This question is particularly relevant when considering insect pests, as host‐associated populations may differ in traits relevant to their control. Here, we tested for HAD in a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) pest, the cotton fleahopper (CFH) (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus), a sexually reproducing, highly polyphagous hemipteran insect. A previous study detected one incidence of HAD among three of its host plants. We used Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to assess HAD in CFH collected from an expanded array of 13 host‐plant species belonging to seven families. Overall, four genetically distinct populations were found. One genetically distinct genotype was exclusively associated with one of the host‐plant species while the other three were observed across more than one host‐plant species. The relatively low degree of HAD in CFH compared to the pea aphid, another hemipteran insect, stresses the likely importance of sexual recombination as a factor increasing the likelihood of HAD.     

The influence of host plant diversity and food quality on larval survival of plant feeding heteropteran bugs

Abstract. 1. In a laboratory experiment, the influence of host plant diversity and food quality, in terms of nitrogen content, on the larval survival of two oligophagous bug species (Heteroptera, Miridae: Leptopterna dolobrata L., Notostira erratica L.) was investigated. Both species are strictly phytophagous and capable of feeding on a wide range of grass species. Moreover, they typically change their host plants during ontogenesis; it has been suggested that this behaviour is a response to the changing protein content of the hosts.
2. To investigate the importance of host plant diversity for these insects, the development of insects reared on grass monocultures was compared with that on mixtures of four grass species. In addition, the host grasses were grown under two nitrogen regimes to test whether nitrogen content is the key factor determining host plant switching.
3. Both species had a significantly higher survival rate when feeding on several host plants but only L. dolobrata showed a significant response to food nitrogen content. Furthermore, there was no correlation between the nitrogen content of the host plants and the survival rate of N. erratica larvae.
4. The study suggests that at least some Stenodemini need a variety of host plants during larval development but that the level of host plant nitrogen is not the main factor responsible for the observed diversity effect.     

BUTTERFLIES AND PLANTS: A PHYLOGENETIC STUDY

A database on host plant records from 437 ingroup taxa has been used to test a number of hypotheses on the interaction between butterflies and their host plants using phylogenetic methods (simple character optimization, concentrated changes test, and independent contrasts test). The butterfly phylogeny was assembled from various sources and host plant clades were identified according to Chase et al.'s rbcL-based phylogeny. The ancestral host plant appears to be associated within a highly derived rosid clade, including the family Fabaceae. As fossil data suggest that this clade is older than the butterflies, they must have colonized already diversified plants. Previous studies also suggest that the patterns of association in most insect-plant interactions are more shaped by host shifts, through colonization and specialization, than by cospeciation. Consequently, we have focused explicitly on the mechanisms behind host shifts. Our results confirm, in the light of new phylogenetic evidence, the pattern reported by Ehrlich and Raven that related butterflies feed on related plants. We show that host shifts have generally been more common between closely related plants than between more distantly related plants. This finding, together with the possibility of a higher tendency of recolonizing ancestral hosts, helps to explain the apparent large-scale conservation in the patterns of association between insects and their host plants, patterns which at the same time are more flexible on a more detailed level. Plant growth form was an even more conservative aspect of the interaction between butterflies and their host plants than plant phylogeny. However, this is largely explained by a higher probability of colonizations and host shifts while feeding on trees than on other growth forms.     

Oviposition site selection by herbivorous beetles: a comparison of two thistle feeders, Cassida rubiginosa and Henosepilachna niponica

In insects that feed on plants in both adult and larval stages, it is often difficult to distinguish oviposition preference from adult feeding preference, because oviposition can occur at or in proximity to feeding sites. In the present study, characteristics of oviposition site selection of two beetle species, Cassida rubiginosa Müller (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Henosepilachna niponica (Lewis) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), were investigated in the field and laboratory, with particular attention to relationships with adult feeding sites. In the field, distances between adult feeding scars and egg masses differed for C . rubiginosa and H . niponica , with the former being very small and the latter averaging 24.6 cm. The same tendencies for the distances between adult feeding scars and egg masses of the two beetle species were confirmed in cages in which only female beetles were released. Cassida rubiginosa restricted egg laying to host plants in the field and to leaves in laboratory assays. On the other hand, H . niponica placed 8% of egg masses on plants adjacent to host plants in the field and often placed eggs on artificial substrates rather than leaf discs in laboratory assays. These results suggest that oviposition and female feeding sites are virtually inseparable in the case of C . rubiginosa , while H . niponica females do not necessarily keep to host plant leaves as oviposition substrates and they tend to oviposit at some distance from their feeding sites. Results are discussed in relation to proximate and ultimate causes of host selection behavior.