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Interaction of foliage and larval age influences preference and performance of a geometrid caterpillar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

Lauren Pinault ,
Graham Thurston  and
Dan Quiring
Lauren Pinault*
Affiliation:
Population Ecology Group, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 6C2
Graham Thurston
Affiliation:
Population Ecology Group, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 6C2, and Atlantic Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, P.O. Box 4000, Regent Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5P7
Dan Quiring
Affiliation:
Population Ecology Group, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 6C2
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: lauren.pinault@gmail.com).
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Abstract

In two recent studies it was reported that feeding on foliage of multiple age classes can improve insect fitness, but it was not determined whether the increase in fitness was due to larvae obtaining a more balanced diet (the balanced-diet hypothesis) or to a difference in the nutritional requirements between young and old larvae (the ontogenetic hypothesis). To test these two hypotheses, we examined the foraging behaviour and performance of young (second or third to fourth instar) and old (third or fourth to fifth instar) larvae of the pale-winged gray moth, Iridopsis ephyraria (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), on different-aged foliage of eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière (Pinaceae), during an outbreak in southwestern Nova Scotia. Defoliation attributed to I. ephyraria was highest on current-year foliage and gradually declined with foliage age. Young larvae were only observed feeding on current-year shoots but old larvae fed on foliage of all ages. When forced to feed on foliage of specific ages in manipulative field studies, survival rates of young and old larvae were highest on current-year and old (≥1 year old) foliage, respectively. However, both young and old larvae had higher survival rates when provided with access to foliage of all age classes than when they were forced to feed on only young or old foliage. Thus, this study supports both the balanced-diet and ontogenetic hypotheses.

Résumé

Deux études récentes indiquent que l'alimentation sur du feuillage appartenant à plusieurs classes d'âge peut augmenter la fitness des insectes, mais elles ne mentionnent pas si l'amélioration de la fitness est due à un régime alimentaire mieux équilibré chez les larves (hypothèse du régime équilibré) ou à des besoins nutritifs différents chez les larves jeunes et âgées (hypothèse ontogénique). Afin de tester ces deux hypothèses, nous avons examiné le comportement de recherche de nourriture et la performance chez des larves jeunes (de second ou troisième à quatrième stades) et âgées (troisième ou quatrième à cinquième stades) de l'arpenteuse à taches, Iridopsis ephyraria (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), sur du feuillage d'âges différents de la pruche, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière (Pinaceae) durant une épidémie dans le sud-ouest de la Nouvelle-Écosse. La défoliation attribuée à I. ephyraria est maximale sur le feuillage de l'année courante et elle décline graduellement en fonction de l'âge du feuillage. Les jeunes larves se nourrissent seulement des pousses de l'année courante, alors que les larves âgées s'alimentent de feuillage des tous les âges. Lorsque forcées de s'alimenter sur du feuillage d'âge donné lors de manipulations de terrain, les jeunes larves survivent mieux sur du feuillage de l'année courante et les larves âgées sur du feuillage plus vieux (≥1 an). Néanmoins, les larves, jeunes et âgées, ont une survie plus grande lorsqu'elles ont accès à du feuillage de tous âges que lorsqu'on les force à se nourrir seulement de feuillage jeune ou vieux. Notre étude appuie donc à la fois l'hypothèse du régime équilibré et l'hypothèse ontogénique.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 141 , Issue 2 , April 2009 , pp. 136 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2009

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