Contribution of habitat type to residency and dispersal choices by overwintered and summer adult Colorado potato beetles

The walking and flight dispersal of marked overwintered and summer Colorado potato beetles (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), released in field box‐plots was monitored simultaneously in six habitats over a period of 4 days. The emigration out of plots by walking beetles was calculated from the catch in linear pitfall traps completely surrounding each box‐plot and emigration flight was estimated from the number of beetles missing from the plot or captured by the trap. Overwintered beetles dispersed sooner after release than summer beetles. Overall, the mean number of beetles retained by the habitat was significantly higher in the host habitat (potato) than in any non‐host habitat tested (soybean, pasture, bare ground, water, woodland). Unexpectedly, there was no or little difference in overall beetle retention between non‐host habitats except for higher retention in the water habitat. No difference in the ratio of flight over walking could be detected by the study between overwintered and summer CPB except in the water and woodland habitats. Twenty‐four hours after release, the highest ratios were obtained in the water and woodland habitats and the lowest in the bare‐ground habitat, but ratios were similar for all habitats, except water, after 96 h. As a population, under these experimental conditions, 96 h after release, it seems that CPB displayed a slight preference for flight over walking, with walking as a default mode. A fed and starved pre‐release treatment had no effect on dispersal rates or mode of dispersal. Essentially, our results showed that over a 96‐h period, northeastern North American CPB emigrated at similar rates from the various non‐host habitats encountered, except for water, using walking as much as flight. The host habitat retained CPB significantly longer than non‐host habitats but with a mode of dispersal ratio similar to that in non‐host habitats. The impact on dispersal of the various habitats encountered by CPB in the agro‐ecosystem was less important than expected suggesting that the interaction of environmental parameters is likely to have the most significant impact in determining dispersal rates and dispersal modes.     

Invasion of Colorado potato beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata,in China: dispersal,occurrence, and economic impact

Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a global destructive pest of potato, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanaceae). It is also an important quarantine pest in China, but its dispersal history, occurrence, and economic impact in China have not yet been reported. We determined the current distribution of CPB and reconstructed its dispersal routes. We also investigated the density of CPB in China in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010, and estimated the economic impact of CPB in China. In 1993, CPB was first detected in Xinjiang and subsequently spread eastward. The CPB entered China at three distinct points in Xinjiang: in Huocheng County, Tacheng City, and Habahe County. As of 2010, CPB had invaded 38 counties and cities in China, with a distribution area of 277 000 km², between 42°40′–48°28′N and 80°15′–90°41′E. The distribution area could be divided into four zones (from south to north): Ili River Valley, northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Tacheng Basin, and Altay. The average annual dispersal rates in the four zones were 18, 45, 12, and 24 km year^?1, respectively. In China, CPB seriously damages potato, impacts eggplant, Solanum melongena L., and occasionally harms tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L. The current annual economic loss caused by CPB in China is estimated to be 3.2 million USD. The potential annual economic losses after completion of its invasion in China is estimated to be 235 million USD. Future invasion pathways, factors affecting CPB dispersal, and control measures were discussed.     

Plant volatiles moderate response to aggregation pheromone in Colorado potato beetle

Abstract:  The orientation of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata , to a male-produced aggregation pheromone, ( S )-3,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-oct-6-ene-1,3-diol, a three-component plant attractant blend [comprised of ( Z )-3-hexenyl acetate + (±)-linalool + methyl salicylate], and other potato volatiles (nonanal and 2-phenylethanol) were tested. All compounds were previously shown to be active in coupled gas chromatography/electroantennogram experiments. Both the three-component plant attractant blend and 2-phenylethanol were attractive to adult beetles. While male beetles oriented preferentially to both plant attractants vs. a control, females showed little preference. Combining the plant attractants with the pheromone resulted in sexually dimorphic responses similar to those seen with either plant attractant alone. Addition of nonanal abolished the sexually dimorphic response to the pheromone + 2-phenylethanol blend; the new three-component blend was attractive to both sexes. In both laboratory bioassays and field experiments, a combination of the pheromone + the three-component plant attractant was preferred over the plant attractant alone. Thus, it seems likely that combinations of pheromone + plant volatiles may be the most efficacious for field use.     

Landscape genomics of Colorado potato beetle provides evidence of polygenic adaptation to insecticides

The ability of insect pests to rapidly and repeatedly adapt to insecticides has long challenged entomologists and evolutionary biologists. Since Crow's seminal paper on insecticide resistance in 1957, new data and insights continue to emerge that are relevant to the old questions about how insecticide resistance evolves: such as whether it is predominantly mono‐ or polygenic, and evolving from standing vs. de novo genetic variation. Many studies support the monogenic hypothesis, and current management recommendations assume single‐ or two‐locus models. But inferences could be improved by integrating data from a broader sample of pest populations and genomes. Here, we generate evidence relevant to these questions by applying a landscape genomics framework to the study of insecticide resistance in a major agricultural pest, Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). Genome–environment association tests using genomic variation from 16 populations spanning gradients of landscape variables associated with insecticide exposure over time revealed 42 strong candidate insecticide resistance genes, with potentially overlapping roles in multiple resistance mechanisms. Measurements of resistance to a widely used insecticide, imidacloprid, among 47 L. decemlineata populations revealed heterogeneity at a small (2 km) scale and no spatial signature of origin or spread throughout the landscape. Analysis of nucleotide diversity suggested candidate resistance loci have undergone varying degrees of selective sweeps, often maintaining similar levels of nucleotide diversity to neutral loci. This study suggests that many genes are involved in insecticide resistance in L. decemlineata and that resistance likely evolves from both de novo and standing genetic variation.     

Behavioural responses of the Colorado potato beetle to trichomes and leaf surface chemicals of Solanum tarijense

Wild Solanum species constitute a source of resistance to several pests and diseases of potato. Several species of wild tuber‐bearing potato have been identified as resistant to the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), including Solanum tarijense Hawkes (Solanaceae). Our objective was to determine the mechanism of resistance of S. tarijense to the Colorado potato beetle and, because the resistance is limited to the adult stage of the insect, to study the host selection behaviour on resistant plants. In the field, Colorado potato beetles demonstrated a unique behaviour when in contact with S. tarijense, abandoning the plant by falling to the ground after a few minutes. The abundant trichomes on the leaves of S. tarijense induced the falling behaviour. However, on S. tarijense feeding remained low even after the trichomes were mechanically removed. Observations demonstrated that the normal sequence of behaviour leading to feeding was interrupted before adult beetles fed on S. tarijense leaves. Feeding experiments using volatile and non‐volatile fractions of leaf surface extracts identified a phagodeterrent effect of the volatile fraction. Our results contrast with a similar evaluation of the mode of resistance of Solanum berthaultii Hawkes, a close relative of S. tarijense, on which some feeding occurred and adults did not show falling behaviour. This study presents information on S. tarijense as a new source of resistance to the Colorado potato beetle that can be used for potato breeding.     

Combining genetic engineering and traditional breeding to provide elevated resistance in potatoes to Colorado potato beetle

The sustainable deployment of resistant crop varieties is a critical issue for the implementation of biotechnology in crop pest management. Feeding, biomass accumulation, and mortality were evaluated for susceptible, insecticide‐resistant, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry 3A‐selected Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) larvae fed on: cultivated potato, a Solanum chacoense line expressing leptine glycoalkaloids, a transformed line expressing Bt toxin, or the leptine line transformed to express Bt toxin. Larvae selected for resistance to Bt‐Cry3A performed better on Bt foliage, but not as well on the leptine foliage, compared to susceptible or insecticide‐resistant larvae. Neither leptine nor Bt toxin completely inhibited the feeding and growth of 3rd and 4th instars of all three strains of Colorado potato beetle. However, for all three strains of Colorado potato beetle on leptine + Bt foliage, feeding was almost zero, growth was zero or negative, and mortality was near 100%.     

The genetic architecture of a niche: variation and covariation in host use traits in the Colorado potato beetle

The genetic basis of host plant use by phytophagous insects can provide insight into the evolution of ecological niches, especially phenomena such as specialization and phylogenetic conservatism. We carried out a quantitative genetic analysis of multiple host use traits, estimated on five species of host plants, in the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Mean values of all characters varied among host plants, providing evidence that adaptation to plants may require evolution of both behavioral (preference) and post-ingestive physiological (performance) characteristics. Significant additive genetic variation was detected for several characters on several hosts, but not in the capacity to use the two major hosts, a pattern that might be caused by directional selection. No negative genetic correlations across hosts were detected for any 'performance' traits, i.e. we found no evidence of trade-offs in fitness on different plants. Larval consumption was positively genetically correlated across host plants, suggesting that diet generalization might evolve as a distinct trait, rather than by independent evolution of feeding responses to each plant species, but several other traits did not show this pattern. We explored genetic correlations among traits expressed on a given plant species, in a first effort to shed light on the number of independent traits that may evolve in response to selection for host-plant utilization. Most traits were not correlated with each other, implying that adaptation to a novel potential host could be a complex, multidimensional 'character' that might constrain adaptation and contribute to the pronounced ecological specialization and the phylogenetic niche conservatism that characterize many clades of phytophagous insects.     

Glandular trichomes of Solanum berthaultii and resistance to the Colorado potato beetle

The defensive mechanisms of the wild potato, solanum berthaultii Hawkes, to larvae of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), were studied by selective removal of glandular trichomes and trichome exudates from leaflets, and by comparing performance on S. berthaultii and on the cultivated potato, S. tuberosum L., which lacks defensively active type A and B glandular trichomes. Removal of type A trichomes increased the proportion of larvae that fed on S. berthaultii. Removal of the exudate from type B trichomes increased the proportion of larvae that fed and led to a decrease in mortality. The predominant active compounds in type B exudate, i.e. fatty acid esters of sucrose, were only effective in the presence of type A trichomes. Sucrose esters did not affect larval feeding on S. tuberosum leaflets or on S. berthaultii leaf discs from which the type A trichomes had been removed. Growth of surviving larvae was not significantly affected by removing type A trichomes or type B exudate. Growth of larvae was significantly increased when S. berthaultii leaflets were presented in artificial diet which eliminated the physical barrier of the type B stalks. Growth was no different on artificial diet containing either S. berthaultii or S. tuberosum leaf material (fresh or lyophilized powder) but was poorer on these diets than on S. tuberosum leaflets. The presence of type A trichomes is a fundamental requirement for expression of S. berthaultii resistance to L1 L. decemlineata. Type B droplets containing sucrose esters increase the expression of resistance in the presence of defensively-active type A trichomes.

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Résumé Les mécanismes de défense de la pomme de terre sauvage, S. berthaultii Hawkes, aux larves de Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, ont été étudiés par ablation sélective des trichomes glandulaires et par l'élimination de leur exsudat des folioles, et par comparaison avec S. tuberosum L. qui a perdu les trichomes glandulaires défensifs A et B. L'ablation des trichomes A a augmenté la proportion de larves ayant consommé S. berthaultii. L'élimination de l'exsudat des trichomes B a augmenté la proportion de consommatrices et réduit la mortalité. Les principaux composés actifs de l'exsudat B, c'est-à-dire des esters d'acides gras de sucrose, n'étaient actifs qu'en présence de trichomes A. Les esters de sucrose n'ont pas modifié la consommation larvaire sur folioles de S. tuberosum, ou sur disques de feuilles de S. berthaultii dont les trichomes A avaient été enlevés. La croissance des larves survivantes n'a pas été modifiée significativement par l'ablation des trichomes A ou l'élimination de l'exsudat de B. La croissance des larves a été significativement augmentée quand les folioles de S. berthaultii ont été incorporés dans l'aliment artificiel après élimination de la barrière physique due aux pédoncules B. La croissance a été de même importance sur aliments artificiels contenant des feuilles (fraiches ou en poudre lyophylisée) de S. berthaultii ou de S. tuberosum, mais plus faible que sur folioles de S. tuberosum. La présence de trichomes A est indispensable à la résistance de S. berthaultii aux L, de L. decemlineata. Les gouttelettes de type B contenant des esters de sucrose augmentent l'expression de la résistance en présence d'une défense active par trichomes A.

     

Behavioral responses of Colorado potato beetle larvae to combinations of temperature and insolation, under field conditions

In short-term field trials at combinations of ambient temperature (°C) and insolation (W·m⁻²), larval Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata [Say] [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae]) were observed after their release on the adaxial surface of leaflets on potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L. Solanaceae). The larvae either began feeding or moved under the leaflet; mean interval from release to expression of these behaviors (2.9±0.05 min [n =358]) was independent of air temperature and insolation. Proportion of larvae moving under the leaflet increased logistically with both air temperature and insolation. A 1 W·m⁻² change in insolation (P) evoked the same effect on this proportion as a 0.0838 °C change in air temperature (T _a ), so the two quantities were combined as T^*=T _a +P·0.0838 °C/(W·m⁻²), which has units of °C. The proportion of larvae moving under the leaflet increased logistically with T^*. In 1-day field trials we monitored air temperature, insolation and proportion of larvae under the leaflet, and compared the latter to predictions from the logistic regression derived from the short-term trials. Consistently more larvae occurred under leaflets than predicted from the logistic regression; this bias diminished as T^* increased until at T^*≥40 °C, observed and predicted proportions were equal. This pattern of deviation from the predictions of the logistic regression is consistent with a thermoregulatory strategy in which larvae move away from hostile conditions, rather than seek optimal conditions.     

Inoculation of susceptible and resistant potato plants with the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans: effects on an aphid and its parasitoid

Plants are exposed to microbial pathogens as well as herbivorous insects and their natural enemies. Here, we examined the effects of inoculation of potato plants, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanaceae), with the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary (Peronosporales: Pythiaceae) on an aphid species commonly infesting potato crops and one of the aphid's major parasitoids. We observed the peach‐potato aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and its natural enemy, the biocontrol agent Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on potato either inoculated with water or P. infestans. Population growth of the aphid, parasitism rate of its natural enemy, and other insect life‐history traits were compared on several potato genotypes, the susceptible cultivar Désirée and genetically modified (GM) isogenic lines carrying genes conferring resistance to P. infestans. Effects of P. infestans inoculation on the intrinsic rate of aphid population increase and the performance of the parasitoid were only found on the susceptible cultivar. Insect traits were similar when comparing inoculated with non‐inoculated resistant GM genotypes. We also tested how GM‐plant characteristics such as location of gene insertion and number of R genes could influence non‐target insects by comparing insect performance among GM events. Different transformation events leading to different positions of R‐gene insertion in the genome influenced aphids either with or without P. infestans infection, whereas effects of position of R‐gene insertion on the parasitoid A. colemani were evident only in the presence of inoculation with P. infestans. We conclude that it is important to study different transformation events before continuing with further stages of risk assessment of this GM crop. This provides important information on the effects of plant resistance to a phytopathogen on non‐target insects at various trophic levels.     

Lack of evolution in a leaf beetle that lives on two contrasting host plants

The interactions between plant‐eating insects and their hosts have shaped both the insects and the plants, driving evolution of plant defenses and insect specialization. The leaf beetle Trirhabda eriodictyonis (Chrysomelidae) lives on two shrubs with differing defenses: Eriodictyon crassifolium has hairy leaves, whereas E. trichocalyx has resinous leaves. We tested whether these beetles have differentiated onto the two host plants, and if not, whether the beetles prefer the better host plant and prefer mates who are from that host plant. In feeding tests, adult beetles strongly preferred eating E. trichocalyx regardless of which host they came from. In addition, females laid more eggs if they ate E. trichocalyx than E. crassifolium. So, E. trichocalyx is generally the better host. However, beetle mate preference was not in line with food choice. Males did not prefer to mate with females from E. trichocalyx. Females from E. crassifolium did prefer males from E. trichocalyx over males from E. crassifolium, but did not lay more eggs as a result of these matings. We conclude that the beetle populations we studied have not differentiated based on their host plants and may not have even adapted to the better host. Although to humans these host plant defenses differ dramatically, signs that they have caused evolution in the beetles are lacking. The case of T. eriodictyonis stands counter to many other studies that have seen the differentiation of ecotypes and/or adaptive coordination of an herbivore's life cycle based on host plant differences.     

Overcompensating plants: their expression of resistance traits and effects on herbivore preference and performance

Overcompensation is a plant tolerance response in which plants have higher fitness after herbivory than without damage. Although it has been demonstrated that plants are able to simultaneously express resistance and tolerance traits, it remains unclear whether overcompensating plants are also inducing resistance‐mediating secondary metabolite production and how herbivores perform on plants that overcompensate. Our previous work has shown that a potato variety [Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Pastusa Suprema (Solanaceae)] from Colombia can express overcompensatory responses to damage by larvae of the Guatemalan potato moth, Tecia solanivora Povolny (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Here we investigated (1) whether potatoes that express overcompensatory responses also induce resistance traits and (2) how the previous damage affects Guatemalan potato moth preference and performance. Our results show that larval feeding not only systemically induces higher tuber biomass but also an increased production of resistance‐related compounds, such as phenolics and proteinase inhibitors. Pupal mass increased with increasing tuber size, whereas changes in tuber secondary metabolism did not correlate with any metric of larval performance. Oviposition preference did not change between induced and undamaged plants. Our data show that potato plants expressing overcompensatory responses also induce secondary compounds known to increase resistance against herbivores. However, the induced response was relatively small, reducing the opportunities for a negative effect on the herbivore. Hypotheses for why larvae perform better in larger tubers and are not affected by the secondary metabolism are discussed. From an ecological and agricultural point of view, our results suggest that the expression of overcompensatory traits could have positive effects on herbivore performance.     

Gene expression profile of Ralstonia Solanacearum for the rhizosphere ecological niche of Solanum tuberosum

Plant root secretion can be regarded as signal molecules, which exerts impact on microorganisms in the rhizosphere ecological niche. We obtained gene expression profile of Ralstonia solanacearumPO41 under the root secretions environment of Solanum tuberosum at the time points of 8 hrs, 16 hrs and 24 hrs, respectively, after infection with RNA microarray technology. Bioinformatics tools of differential genes expression analysis, GO functional analysis, cluster analysis and pathway analysis were conducted to find out the pathogenic genes and other related genes. We found that the virulence factors of R. solanacearum mainly focused on the output pathways of toxic protein (Sec pathway, Tat pathway and type III secretion system (T3SS)), the aggregation and transfer of exopolysaccharides and the chemotactic movement and adhesion of flagellum in the potato root secretion ecological niche, while the virulence factors in the atypical output pathway mainly distributed in Sec (secB, secDF, yidc) and Tat (tatA, tatC) pathways to promote the output of folded and unfolded toxic proteins. The fliIATPase was obviously upregulated 8 hrs postinoculation, suggesting that type III secretion system was only active at the early stage of PO41 infection. The upregulated expression of phosphoglucomutase and epimerase showed that the virulence factor of exopolysaccharides (EPS) was synthesized at the early stage of R. solanacearum infection. Chemotactic receptor and motor protein were obviously upregulated within 24 hrs postinoculation. Our study revealed that R. solanacearumPO41 had already colonized to the roots within 24 hrs with the stimulating of root secretion. Some pathogenic genes were upregulated during this period.     

Behavioural responses of the small hive beetle to volatile components of fermenting honeybee hive products

The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is a significant pest of managed honeybees in the USA and eastern Australia. The beetle damages hives by feeding on hive products and leaving behind fermented wastes. The beetle is consistently associated with the yeast Kodamaea ohmeri (Etchells & Bell) Yamada et al. (Saccharomycetales: Metschnikowiaceae), and this yeast is the presumed agent of the fermentation. Previous work has noted that the small hive beetle is attracted to volatiles from hive products and those of the yeast K. ohmeri. In this study, we investigated how the volatile compounds from the fermenting hive products change depending upon the source of the hive material and also how these volatiles change through time. We used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and choice‐test behavioural assays to investigate these changes using products sampled from apiaries across the established range of the beetle in eastern Australia. The starting hive products significantly affected the volatile composition of fermenting hive products, and this composition varied throughout time. We found 61.7% dissimilarity between attractive and non‐attractive fermenting hive products, and identified individual compounds that characterise each of these groups. Eleven of these individual compounds were then assessed for attractiveness, as well as testing a synthetic blend in the laboratory. In the laboratory bioassay, 82.1 ± 0.02% of beetles were trapped in blend traps. These results have strong implications for the development of an out‐of‐hive attractant trap to assist in the management of this invasive pest.     

The interaction effect between intraspecific competition and seed quality on the life‐history traits of the seed‐feeding beetle Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus

It has been shown that intraspecific competition and resource quality may affect life‐history traits of insects, such as body size, fecundity, and survival. However, intraspecific competition and resource quality may interact with each other. The study of such interacting effects is crucial for understanding the influence of these ecological variables on the selection of specific life‐history traits. Here, we investigated whether the interaction between intraspecific larval competition and variation in resource quality affects adult emergence and survival, egg size, fecundity, body size, and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) of the seed‐feeding beetle Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus (Schaeffer) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) when infesting Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit (Fabaceae), its host plant. In the laboratory, beetles were reared on seeds that differed in quality (e.g., different hardness, seed size, water content), in the presence or absence of larval competition. Body size and SSD did not differ between treatments (with and without competition), nor were they affected by varying resource quality. Females subjected to competition during the larval stage and females emerging from seeds of higher quality, displayed the highest fecundity. The proportion of emergent adults was higher in the absence of competition. In addition, larger eggs were laid on the low‐quality resource in the absence of competition, showing a trade‐off between egg size and egg number. Adult survival differed among treatments and resource qualities, suggesting a higher investment in adult survival for individuals emerging from seeds of low quality in the presence of competition. Whether changes in specific traits could be selected for in detriment of others will depend on the strength of intraspecific competition, the variation in resource quality, and the plasticity in the life‐history traits investigated. This needs further clarification.     

Electrophysiological and laboratory behavioral responses of a leaf beetle pest of elm,Ambrostoma quadriimpressum,to selected plant volatiles and essential oils

The leaf beetle Ambrostoma quadriimpressum Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is distributed in China, Siberia, and elsewhere in northeastern Asia. This pest feeds only on buds and leaves of elm trees (Ulmaceae) and inhibits elm trees sprouting, increasing the risk of damage and destruction by other pests. We investigated selected plant compounds that could be used for the development of semiochemical‐based push‐pull methods for the control of this elm pest. Electroantennogram (EAG), Y‐tube olfactometer, and wind tunnel bioassays were conducted to test the electrophysiological and behavioral response of A. quadriimpressum to nine individual volatiles and five essential oils. Individual volatiles and essential oils were selected based on their activity against insects in previous studies. The individual volatiles and essential oils were dissolved in dichloromethane and adsorbed by filter paper. Using a pipette, odor stimuli were delivered as 0.5‐s puffs of air into a continuously humidified air stream in the odor delivery tube at 400 ml per min. Ambrostoma quadriimpressum adults display strong EAG responses to l mol l^?1 isoeugenol, (1R)‐(+)‐α‐pinene, 1% pepper oil (derived from the pericarp of Piper chinense Miq.), and peppermint oil [derived from the aerial parts of Mentha haplocalyx (Briq.)] compared to the control. In behavioral assays conducted using a Y‐tube olfactometer and a wind tunnel, adult beetles were attracted by (1R)‐(+)‐α‐pinene but repelled by 0.1% pepper oil. The results provide a basis for the development of a ‘push‐pull’ strategy to manage A. quadriimpressum.     

Non‐random segregation of an autosomal gene in males of the flea beetle,Phyllotreta nemorum: implications for colonization of a novel host plant

The flea beetle, Phyllotreta nemorum (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), is currently expanding its host plant range in Europe. The ability to utilize a novel host plant, Barbarea vulgaris R. Br. (Brassicaceae), is controlled by major dominant genes named R‐genes. The present study used extensive crossing experiments to illustrate a peculiar mode of inheritance of the R‐gene in a population from Delemont (Switzerland). When resistant males from Delemont are mated with recessive females from a laboratory line, the female F₁ offspring contains the R‐allele and is able to utilize B. vulgaris, whereas the male offspring contains the r‐allele and is unable to utilize the plant. This outcome suggests X‐linkage of the R‐gene, but further crossing experiments demonstrated that this was not the case. When the R‐gene is present in offspring from males from a laboratory line that originates from Taastrup (Denmark), it is transmitted to female and male offspring in equal proportions as a normal autosomal gene. The results demonstrate a polymorphism in segregation patterns of an autosomal R‐gene in P. nemorum males. Males from Delemont contain a factor which causes non‐random segregation of the R‐gene (NRS‐factor). This factor is inherited patrilineally (from fathers to sons). Males with the NRS‐factor transmit the R‐gene to their female offspring, whereas males without the NRS‐factor transmit the R‐gene to female and male offspring in equal proportions. Various models for the non‐random segregation of autosomes in P. nemorum males are discussed – e.g., fusions between autosomes and sex chromosomes, and genomic imprinting. The implications of various modes of inheritance of R‐genes for the ability of P. nemorum populations to colonize novel patches of B. vulgaris are discussed.     

Interactions between a pollinating seed predator and its host plant: the role of environmental context within a population

Plant–insect interactions often are important for plant reproduction, but the outcome of these interactions may vary with environmental context. Pollinating seed predators have positive and negative effects on host plant reproduction, and the interaction outcome is predicted to vary with density or abundance of the partners. We studied the interaction between Silene stellata, an herbaceous perennial, and Hadena ectypa, its specialized pollinating seed predator. Silene stellata is only facultatively dependent upon H. ectypa for pollination because other nocturnal moth co‐pollinators are equally effective at pollen transfer. We hypothesized that for plants without conspecific neighbors, H. ectypa would have higher visitation rates compared to co‐pollinators, and the plants would experience lower levels of H. ectypa pollen deposition. We predicted similar oviposition throughout the study site but greater H. ectypa predation in the area without conspecific neighbors compared to plants embedded in a naturally high density area. We found that H. ectypa had consistently higher visitation than moth co‐pollinators in all host plant contexts. However, H. ectypa pollinator importance declined in areas with low conspecific density because of reduced pollen deposition, resulting in lower seed set. Conversely, oviposition was similar across the study site independent of host plant density. Greater likelihood of very high fruit predation combined with lower pollination by H. ectypa resulted in reduced S. stellata female reproductive success in areas with low conspecific density. Our results demonstrate local context dependency of the outcomes of pollinating seed predator interactions with conspecific host plant density within a population.