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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Host-Plant Specialization Mediates the Influence of Plant Abundance on Host Use by Flower Head-Feeding Insects

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Author(s):
Nobre, Paola A. F. [1, 2] ; Bergamini, Leonardo L. [1, 3] ; Lewinsohn, Thomas M. [4] ; Jorge, Leonardo R. [4] ; Almeida-Neto, Mario [3]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Goias, ICB, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Evolucao, Goiania, Go - Brazil
[2] Univ Estado Mato Grosso, Lab Entomol, Nova Xavantina, MT - Brazil
[3] Univ Fed Goias, ICB, Dept Ecol, Goiania, Go - Brazil
[4] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Anim, Campinas, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 4
Document type: Journal article
Source: ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY; v. 45, n. 1, p. 171-177, FEB 2016.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Among-population variation in host use is a common phenomenon in herbivorous insects. The simplest and most trivial explanation for such variation in host use is the among-site variation in plant species composition. Another aspect that can influence spatial variation in host use is the relative abundance of each host-plant species compared to all available hosts. Here, we used endophagous insects that develop in flower heads of Asteraceae species as a study system to investigate how plant abundance influences the pattern of host-plant use by herbivorous insects with distinct levels of host-range specialization. Only herbivores recorded on three or more host species were included in this study. In particular, we tested two related hypotheses: 1) plant abundance has a positive effect on the host-plant preference of herbivorous insects, and 2) the relative importance of plant abundance to host-plant preference is greater for herbivorous species that use a wider range of host-plant species. We analyzed 11 herbivore species in 20 remnants of Cerrado in Southeastern Brazil. For 8 out of 11 herbivore species, plant abundance had a positive influence on host use. In contrast to our expectation, both the most specialized and the most generalist herbivores showed a stronger positive effect of plant species abundance in host use. Thus, we found evidence that although the abundance of plant species is a major factor determining the preferential use of host plants, its relative importance is mediated by the host-range specialization of herbivores. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 98/05085-2 - Species and interaction diversity in plants and phytophagous insects
Grantee:Thomas Michael Lewinsohn
Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants