Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The role of exotic plants in the invasion of Seychelles by the polyphagous insect Aleurodicus dispersus: a phylogenetically controlled analysis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The accidental introduction of the spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus Russell (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to Seychelles in late 2003 is exploited during early 2005 to study interactions between A. dispersus, native and exotic host plants and their associated arthropod fauna. The numbers of A. dispersus egg spirals and pupae, predator and herbivore taxa were recorded for eight related native/exotic pairs of host plants found on Mahé, the largest island in Seychelles. Our data revealed no significant difference in herbivore density (excluding A. dispersus) between related native and exotic plants, which suggests that the exotic plants do not benefit from ‘enemy release’. There were also no differences in predator density, or combined species richness between native and exotic plants. Together these data suggest that ‘biotic resistance’ to invasion is also unlikely. Despite the apparent lack of differences in community structure significantly fewer A. dispersus egg spirals and pupae were found on the native plants than on the exotic plants. Additional data on A. dispersus density were collected on Cousin Island, a managed nature reserve in which exotic plants are carefully controlled. Significantly higher densities of A. dispersus were observed on Mahé, where exotic plants are abundant, than on Cousin. These data suggest that the rapid invasion of Seychelles by A. dispersus may largely be due to the high proportion of plant species that are both exotic and hosts of A. dispersus; no support was found for either the ‘enemy release’ or the ‘biotic resistance’ hypotheses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agrawal AA, Kotanen PM et al (2005) Enemy release? An experiment with congeneric plant pairs and diverse above- and belowground enemies. Ecology 86:2979–2989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JE, Inouye RS (2001) Landscape-scale changes in plant species abundance and biodiversity of a sagebrush steppe over 45 years. Ecol Monogr 71:531–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakker JD, Wilson SD (2004) Using ecological restoration to constrain biological invasion. J Appl Ecol 41:1058–1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baltz DM, Moyle PB (1993) Invasion resistance to introduced species by a native assemblage of California stream fishes. Ecol Appl 3:246–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bezemer TM, van Dam NM (2005) Linking aboveground and belowground interactions via induced plant defenses. Trends Ecol Evol 20:617–624

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bezemer TM, De Deyn GB et al (2005) Soil community composition drives aboveground plant-herbivore-parasitoid interactions. Ecol Lett 8:652–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christian JM, Wilson SD (1999) Long-term ecosystem impacts of an introduced grass in the northern Great Plains. Ecology 80:2397–2407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colautti RI, Ricciardi A et al (2004) Is invasion success explained by the enemy release hypothesis? Ecol Lett 7:721–733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colautti RI, Bailey SA et al (2006) Characterised and projected costs of nonindigenous species in Canada. Biol Invasions 8:45–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crosby AW (1986) Ecological imperialism. The biological expansion of Europe, 900–1900. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Almeida YA, Lys JA et al (1998) Impact of two accidentally introduced Encarsia species (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and other biotic and abiotic factors on the spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus (Russell) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), in Benin, West Africa. Biocontrol Sci Technol 8:163–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Rivera CE, Ruiz GM et al (2005) Biotic resistance to invasion: native predator limits abundance and distribution of an introduced crab. Ecology 86:3364–3376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elton CS (1958) The ecology of invasions by plants and animals. Meuthen, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Geetha B (2000) Biology and management of spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus Russell (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Ph.D. thesis, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India

  • Harvey BC, White JL et al (2004) An emergent multiple predator effect may enhance biotic resistance in a stream fish assemblage. Ecology 85:127–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heidinga L, Wilson SD (2002) The impact of an invading alien grass (Agropyron cristatum) on species turnover in native prairie. Divers Dist 8:249–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keane RM, Crawley MJ (2002) Exotic plant invasions and the enemy release hypothesis. Trends Ecol Evol 17:164–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumashiro BR, Lai PY et al (1983) Efficacy of Nephaspis amnicola and Encarsia ?haitiensis in controlling Aleurodicus dispersus in Hawaii. Proc Hawaiian Entomol Soc 24:261–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Kushner RB, Hovel KA (2006) Effects of native predators and eelgrass habitat structure on the introduced Asian mussel Musculista senhousia (Benson in Cantor) in southern California. J Exp Marine Biol Ecol 332:166–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine JM, Adler PB et al (2004) A meta-analysis of biotic resistance to exotic plant invasions. Ecol Lett 7:975–989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louda SM, Pemberton RW et al (2003) Non-target effects—the Achilles heel of biological control? Retrospective analyses to reduce risk associated with biocontrol introductions. Ann Rev Entomol 48:365–396

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mack RN, Simberloff D et al (2000) Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control. Ecol Appl 10:689–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mani M, Krishnamoorthy A et al (2004) Role of the aphelinid parasitoid Encarsia guadeloupae in the suppression of the exotic spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus on banana in India. Biocontrol Sci Technol 14:619–622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell CE, Power AG (2003) Release of invasive plants from fungal and viral pathogens. Nature 421:625–627

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neuenschwander P (1996) Evaluating the efficacy of biological control of three exotic homopteran pests in tropical Africa. Entomophaga 41:405–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohgushi T (2005) Indirect interaction webs: herbivore-induced effects through trait change in plants. Ann Rev Ecol Evol Syst 36:81–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker JD, Burkepile DE et al (2006) Opposing effects of native and exotic herbivores on plant invasions. Science 311:1459–1461

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel D, Zuniga R et al (2005) Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecol Econ 52:273–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramani S (2000) Fortuitous introduction of an aphelinid parasitoid of the spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus Russell (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) into the Lakshadweep islands, with notes on host plants and other natural enemies. J Biol Cont 14:55–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramani S, Poorani J et al (2002) Spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus, in India. Biocontrol News Inf 23:55N–62N

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson SA (1989) Flowering plants of Seychelles. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell LM (1965) A new species of Aleurodicus Douglas and two close relatives. Fla Entomol 48:47–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scoppettone GG, Rissler PH et al (2005) Habitat restoration as a means of controlling non-native fish in a Mojave Desert oasis. Restor Ecol 13:247–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff D, Von Holle B (1999) Positive interactions of nonindigenous species: invasional meltdown? Biol invasions 1:21–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soler R, Bezemer TM et al (2005) Root herbivore effects on above-ground herbivore, parasitoid and hyperparasitoid performance via changes in plant quality. J Anim Ecol 74:1121–1130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • StatSoft, Inc (1998) STATISTICA for Windows [Computer program manual]. Tulsa, OK

  • van Ruijven J, De Deyn GB et al (2005) Interactions between spatially separated herbivores indirectly alter plant diversity. Ecol Lett 8:30–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waterhouse DF, Norris KR (1989) Biological control: pacific prospects—supplement 1. ACIAR, ACIAR Monograph No.12, Canberra, Australia

  • Wen HC, Tung CH et al (1995) Yield loss and control of spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus Russell). J Agric Res China 44:147–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilcove DS, Rothstein D et al (1998) Quantifying threats to imperiled species in the United States. Bioscience 48:607–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

SPH was supported by the World Bank/GEF medium sized project grant ‘Improving the management of NGO- and privately-managed nature reserves and islands of high biodiversity value in Seychelles’ awarded to Nature Seychelles. Thanks also to the staff of Nature Seychelles for logistical support and advice, particularly Nimral Shah, James Hardcastle, Rachel Bristol, Conor Jamison, Alex Underwood and Ian Valois and to Tim Blackburn for commenting on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK

    Steaphan P. Hazell & Mark D. E. Fellowes

  2. Nature Seychelles, The Sanctuary, Roche Caiman, Seychelles

    Terence Vel

  3. Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Steaphan P. Hazell

Authors
  1. Steaphan P. Hazell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Terence Vel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mark D. E. Fellowes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steaphan P. Hazell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hazell, S.P., Vel, T. & Fellowes, M.D.E. The role of exotic plants in the invasion of Seychelles by the polyphagous insect Aleurodicus dispersus: a phylogenetically controlled analysis. Biol Invasions 10, 169–175 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9120-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9120-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation