The role of competitors for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysomela lapponica</Emphasis>, a north Eurasian willow pest,in pioneering a new host plant |
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| Authors: | Jürgen Gross Nina E Fatouros Seppo Neuvonen Monika Hilker |
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| Institution: | (1) Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany;(2) Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Binnenhaven 7, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands;(3) Joensuu Research Unit, The Finnish Forest Research Institute, POB 68, 80101 Joensuu, Finland;(4) Institute of Biology, Free University Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163 Berlin, Germany |
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| Abstract: | The Palaearctic leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica usually feeds upon willows in the northern region of its occurrence. However, in Central Europe, some populations are known
that have specialised on birch. In this study, we investigated the significance of other herbivores occurring together on
the same host plants as possible exploitative competitors of C. lapponica. Two populations were studied: a population from Finland specialised on the willow Salix
borealis, and a population from the Czech Republic, specialised on the birch Betula
pubescens. Abundances of folivorous and suctivorous insects on both host plants were recorded at both population sites. The willow
leaf beetle Phratora vitellinae was the most abundant herbivorous insect at both study sites on willow. A field study was conducted to examine the effects
of P. vitellinae on the performance of C. lapponica. The presence of P. vitellinae larvae on the same twig upon which C. lapponica larvae were feeding did not affect increase of body weight in C. lapponica larvae. Thus, the high resource availability of both willows and birches suggest that interspecific competition is unlikely
to be a selection factor driving the evolution of host shift in C. lapponica. |
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| Keywords: | Chrysomela lapponica Interspecific competition Exploitative competition Phratora vitellinae Finland Czech Republic Willow Birch |
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