Abstract
Outbreaks of the blue willow beetle Phratora vulgatissima (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) threaten the yield of willow plantations that rely on biological control by natural enemies. Here we show that weed presence increases herbivore and predator/parasitoid diversity on willow shoots and causes increased predation on P. vulgatissima eggs compared to shoots within plots without weeds. We argue that, in addition to higher abundance, the community shift in favour of egg consumers and additive predator effects causes the higher predation pressure. This increase (~35 %) was apparent despite more alternative prey. Neither the willow genotype on which the predator–prey interaction occurred nor the clutch size affected egg predation levels. Our results support root’s enemy hypothesis and suggest that intensive weed control might counteract biological control in willow plantations. However, at least during the establishing phase of the plantation, increased biocontrol probably does not compensate for yield losses caused by competing weeds.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Sten Segerslätt and Stig Larsson from European Willow Breeding AB for providing the northwest site. JS is most grateful for funding from the Helge Ax:son Johnsons Foundation that made this study possible. Matthieu Laurent and Carol V. Amaya-Gómez provided technical assistance. This study was further funded by the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) and the Swedish Research Agency Formas.
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Stephan, J.G., Albertsson, J., Wang, L. et al. Weeds within willow short-rotation coppices alter the arthropod community and improve biological control of the blue willow beetle. BioControl 61, 103–114 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-015-9693-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-015-9693-0