Host Plant Suitability in a Specialist Herbivore, Euphydryas anicia (Nymphalidae): Preference, Performance and Sequestration
The checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas anicia (Nymphalidae), specializes on plants containing iridoid glycosides and has the ability to sequester these compounds from its host plants. This study investigated larval preference, performance, and sequestration of iridoid glycosides in a population of E....
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Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of chemical ecology 2018-11, Vol.44 (11), p.1051-1057 |
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Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | The checkerspot butterfly,
Euphydryas anicia
(Nymphalidae), specializes on plants containing iridoid glycosides and has the ability to sequester these compounds from its host plants. This study investigated larval preference, performance, and sequestration of iridoid glycosides in a population of
E. anicia
at Crescent Meadows, Colorado, USA. Although previous studies showed that other populations in Colorado use the host plant,
Castilleja integra
(Orobanchaceae), we found no evidence for
E. anicia
ovipositing or feeding on
C. integra
at Crescent Meadows. Though
C. integra
and another host plant,
Penstemon glaber
(Plantaginaceae), occur at Crescent Meadows, the primary host plant used was
P. glaber
. To determine why
C. integra
was not being used at the Crescent Meadows site, we first examined the host plant preference of naïve larvae between
P. glaber
and
C. integra
. Then we assessed the growth and survivorship of larvae reared on each plant species. Finally, we quantified the iridoid glycoside concentrations of the two plant species and diapausing caterpillars reared on each host plant. Our results showed that
E. anicia
larvae prefer
P. glaber.
Also, larvae survive and grow better when reared on
P. glaber
than on
C. integra
.
Castilleja integra
was found to contain two primary iridoid glycosides, macfadienoside and catalpol, and larvae reared on this plant sequestered both compounds; whereas
P. glaber
contained only catalpol and larvae reared on this species sequestered catalpol. Thus, although larvae are able to use
C. integra
in the laboratory, the drivers behind the lack of use at the Crescent Meadows site remain unclear. |
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ISSN: | 0098-0331 1573-1561 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-018-1012-7 |