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How foraging tactics determine host-plant use by a polyphagous caterpillar.
1Interdisciplinary Program in Insect Science, Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Forbs 410, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Oecologia
|May 27, 2017
Summary
Polyphagous caterpillars like Grammia geneura exhibit selective host plant use, preferring forbs. Their feeding patterns are influenced by individual foraging behaviors, not just plant availability.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Entomology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Insect herbivores often utilize multiple host-plant species, a phenomenon known as polyphagy.
- Understanding the ecological and behavioral mechanisms driving polyphagy is crucial for evolutionary ecology.
- Host-plant selection is influenced by local conditions and individual foraging strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the host-plant use patterns of the polyphagous caterpillar Grammia geneura.
- To determine the influence of host-plant availability and individual foraging tactics on host selection.
- To provide a behavioral basis for observed population-level host-plant use.
Main Methods:
- Conducted field surveys of caterpillar feeding and host-plant abundance across diverse sites, seasons, and years.
- Performed 7-hour direct observations of individual caterpillar foraging behavior.
- Analyzed host-plant preference, opportunistic feeding, and electivity in relation to plant availability and foraging tactics.
Main Results:
- Grammia geneura consistently preferred forbs over grasses and woody plants.
- Host-plant selection was opportunistic, indicating caterpillars sample locally available plants.
- Consistent host-plant use patterns were observed that could not be explained by plant availability alone (electivity).
Conclusions:
- Electivity in host-plant use is explained by variations in initiating feeding and feeding bout duration, not encounter probability.
- Individual foraging tactics provide a behavioral foundation for population-level host-plant use patterns.
- This study offers a novel approach by linking detailed larval foraging tactics to explain polyphagy at the population level.
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