scholarly journals Potential Consequences of Hosting an Ant-tended Treehopper, Publilia concava, for Tall Goldenrod, Solidago altissima

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 17-21
Author(s):  
Luke McCartin ◽  
Nabil Nasseri ◽  
Alison Brody
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Solidago Altissima ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Tall Goldenrod ◽  
Ant Defense

In ant-hemipteran mutualisms, ‘tending’ ants indiscriminately defend hemipterans from other arthropods, protecting mutualism-hosting plants from defoliating herbivores in some cases. Censuses of a treehopper, Publilia concava, observations of tending ants, and measurements of leaf area were conducted on tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima, over the course of a summer at a field site in central Vermont. Hosting ant-tended treehopper aggregations had no effect on leaf area or the ability for goldenrod to flower, suggesting that in the absence of an herbivore outbreak this mutualism is neither necessary nor inherently detrimental for goldenrod. These findings support the hypothesis that the net consequence of the ant-hemipteran mutualism for its host plant depends on the costs of hemipteran damage, and the benefits of ant defense from other arthropods.

scholarly journals The bigger the better? Vigour of the exotic host plant Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) affects herbivory

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-366
Author(s):  
Geraldo Wilson Fernandes ◽  
Jarcilene Silva de Almeida ◽  
Maria Fernanda Vicente Rodrigues-Menelau ◽  
Lucas Arantes-Garcia ◽  
Samuel Novais
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Calotropis Procera ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Plant Vigour ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Shoot Size ◽  
Vigorous Plant ◽  
Leaf Herbivory

The Plant Vigour Hypothesis states that herbivores preferentially feed on the most vigorous plants within a plant population and/or the most vigorous modules within a plant. The goal of this study was to evaluate how shoot size (as an indication of module vigour) affects leaf herbivory in the host plant Calotropis procera, an exotic xerophyte perennial milkweed shrub. We predicted that the proportion of leaf area removed by insect herbivores would be positively related to shoot size. Eight patches were selected containing a varied number of C. procera individuals (5, 8, 29, 31, 55, 79, 116, and 172 individuals/patch) in the Brazilian seasonally dry vegetation (Caatinga), of which five individuals were randomly selected for further analysis. From each individual, three to six shoots were randomly selected, measured and had their leaves collected, for a total of approximately 200 leaves per patch. At the regional scale, the proportion of leaf area removed was positively affected by shoot size. In addition, this pattern was also found for the majority of the studied patches (29, 31, 55, 116, and 172 individuals/patch). Among the insect herbivores associated with C. procera, larvae of Danaus spp. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) were commonly observed feeding on all patches. These herbivores present a specialized behaviour to circumvent the presence of latex in the host leaves. Although more vigorous plant modules should be better defended compared with the less vigorous modules, Danaus species were able to bypass host defences, and feed on healthy, rapidly growing and vigorous plant modules of C. procera, hence causing more damage to these modules.

Mechanisms promoting recovery from defoliation in goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
G A Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Carbon Gain ◽  
Solidago Altissima ◽  
Photosynthetic Rates ◽  
Area Loss ◽  
Compensatory Photosynthesis ◽  
Leaf Area Loss

Plant responses to defoliation were examined using Solidago altissima and a leaf-chewing beetle (Trirhabda sp.). Plants were exposed to five intensities of defoliation (ranging from 0 to 85% leaf area loss) and effects on carbon gain, vegetative growth, and flowering were determined. Defoliated plants partially restored their capacity for carbon gain in the following ways: (i) activity of damaged leaves remaining after defoliation was increased via delayed senescence and enhanced photosynthetic rates and (ii) regrowth leaves on damaged plants had higher specific leaf area (leaf area per leaf mass) than comparable leaves on undamaged plants, but photosynthetic rates per unit area were equivalent to controls; thus, these leaves covered more area for a given investment in biomass with no loss in activity per unit area. Delayed leaf senescence and compensatory photosynthesis are commonly observed following defoliation, but increased specific leaf area is not generally recognized as a mechanism contributing to plant regrowth. In spite of these changes, total carbon gain capacity of defoliated plants was still less than that of controls after 3 weeks of regrowth. Overall plant performance was reduced by defoliation. Defoliated stems grew at a slower rate early in the season, added fewer new leaves in the first few weeks after defoliation, and had fewer lateral stems throughout the season. Damaged plants delayed flowering and maintained height growth later into the season than undamaged plants. Damaged stems reached heights comparable with undamaged stems by the end of the season, but they were thinner and their flower production was lower. Declines in plant growth and flowering were linear functions of the percentage leaf area loss, suggesting that even low levels of insect feeding are likely to affect plant performance.Key words: Solidago altissima, Trirhabda, defoliation, compensatory photosynthesis, insect herbivory, herbivore damage, plant compensation.

DUCKING AS A MEANS OF RESISTANCE TO HERBIVORY IN TALL GOLDENROD,SOLIDAGO ALTISSIMA

Ecology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (12) ◽  
pp. 3275-3281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Wise ◽  
Warren G. Abrahamson
Keyword(s):  
Solidago Altissima ◽  
Resistance To Herbivory ◽  
Tall Goldenrod

scholarly journals Effects of endophyte fungal species and host plant genotype on the leaf shape and leaf area of endophyte-grass symbionts

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 654-660
Author(s):  
Tian-Zi QIN ◽  
An-Zhi REN ◽  
Xiao-Wen FAN ◽  
Yu-Bao GAO ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Leaf Shape ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Plant Genotype

scholarly journals A Gall-Inducing Caterpillar Species Increases Essential Fatty Acid Content of Its Host Plant Without Concomitant Increases in Phytohormone Levels

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 551-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Tooker ◽  
Consuelo M. De Moraes
Keyword(s):  
Jasmonic Acid ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Heliothis Virescens ◽  
Fatty Acid Content ◽  
Defense Responses ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Solidago Altissima ◽  
Host Plant Volatiles ◽  
Indirect Defenses ◽  
And Control

Gall-inducing insects are accomplished plant parasites that can profoundly influence host-plant physiology. We recently reported that the caterpillar Gnorimoschema gallaesolidaginis failed to significantly alter emissions of host-plant volatiles that often recruit natural enemies of insect herbivores, and demonstrated that a caterpillar species feeding on linolenate-deficient plant tissues avoids inducing some of the indirect defenses of its host plant. Here, we investigate whether absence of volatile responses to the galler G. gallaesolidaginis could similarly be explained by a lack of linolenate in galls. We screened interior and exterior tissue of galls and control stems of Solidago altissima for free linolenate, linoleate, 12-oxo-phytodienoate, jasmonate, and salicylate. We found, unexpectedly, that G. gallaesolidaginis strongly increased amounts of linolenic and linoleic acids inside galls without associated increases in two downstream products, 12-oxo-phytodienoic or jasmonic acid. In contrast, the generalist caterpillar Heliothis virescens induced elevated levels of linolenic, linoleic, 12-oxo-phytodienoic, and jasmonic acids in S. altissima. Moreover, these two fatty acids and 12-oxo-phytodienoate were significantly and positively associated with jasmonic acid, suggesting that increased levels of these precursors can lead directly to greater amounts of jasmonic acid. Taken together, these findings suggest that gall insects may be able to nutritionally enhance their food source without inducing concomitant increases in phytohormones and associated defense responses.

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