Summary
To determine the relative importance of variation in several plant characters on susceptibility to herbivores, we examined patterns of seed predation by two monophagous insect species and patterns of variation in ten populations of the cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium. Multiple regression analysis disclosed that one seed predator was most influenced by plant chemical variation, the other was significantly influenced by both chemical and morphological variation, but variation in yet another character, general burr size, was most important in conferring resistance to both insects simultaneously. The plant populations differed most in this character. Although many of the plant characters were correlated with each other, those important in determining susceptibility to each insect species were uncorrelated and independent of those conferring resistance to both insects simultaneously.
These results imply that ecological similar herbivores may be influenced by different aspects of plant variation, and that predictions of evolutionary responses of local plant populations to herbivory may require knowledge of the structure of local herbivore communities and the dynamics of their establishment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Breedlove, D.E., Ehrlich, P.R.: Plant-herbivore coevolution: Lupines and lycaenids. Science 162, 671–672 (1968)
Breedlove, D.E., Ehrlich, P.R.: Coevolution: Patterns of legume predation by a lycaenid butterfly. Oecologia 10, 99–104 (1972)
DaCosta, C.P., Jones, C.M.: Cucumber beetle resistance and mite susceptibility controlled by the bitter gene in Cucumus sativus. Science 172, 1145–1146 (1971)
Dethier, V.G.: Evolution of feeding preferences in phytophagous insects. Evolution 8, 33–54 (1954)
Dolinger, P.M., Ehrlich, P.R., Fitch, W.L., Breedlove, D.E.: Alkaloid and predation patterns in Colorado lupine populations. Oecologia (Berl.) 13, 191–204 (1973)
Ehrlich, P.R., Raven, P.H.: Butterflies and plants: a study in coevolution. Evolution 18, 586–608 (1964)
Erickson, J., Feeny, P.: Sinigrin: a chemical barrier to the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes. Ecology 55, 103–111 (1974)
Feeny, P.: Plant apparency and chemical defense. Recent Adv. Phytochem. 10, 1–40 (1976)
Futuyma, D.J.: Food plant specialization and environmental predictibility in lepidoptera. Am. Nat. 110, 285–292 (1976)
Futuyma, D.J., Gould, F.: Associations of plants and insects in a deciduous forest. Ecology (in press)
Green, T.W., Palmblad, I.G.: Effects of insect seed predators on Astragalus cibarius and Astragalus utahensis (Leguminosae). Ecology 56, 1435–1440 (1975)
Hare, J.D.: The biology of Phaneta imbridana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a seed predator of Xanthium strumarium (Compositae). Psyche 84, 179–182 (1977)
Hare, J.D.: Variation and seed predation among local populations of Xanthium strumarium L., Ph.D. Thesis, State University of New York at Stony Brook (1978)
Janzen, D.H.: Seed predation by animals. Ann. Rev. Ecol. & Syst. 2, 465–492 (1971)
Janzen, D.H.: Behavior of Hymenaea courbaril when its predispersal seed predator is absent. Science 189, 145–147 (1975a)
Janzen, D.H.: Intra- and interhabitat variation in Guazuma ulmifolia (Sterculaceae) seed predation by Amblycerus cistelinus (Bruchidae) in Costa Rica. Ecology 56, 1009–1013 (1975b)
Kelly, S.G.: The control of Noogoora and Bathurst burr by insects. J.Coun. Sci. Indus. Res. Aust. 4, 161–172 (1931)
Kingsbury, J.M.: Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall 1964
Löve, D., Dansereau, P.: Biosystematic studies on Xanthium: Taxonomic appraisal and ecological status. Can. J. Bot. 37, 173–208 (1959)
Maxwell, F.G., Jenkens, J.N., Parrott, W.L.: Resistance of plants to insects. Adv. Agron. 24, 187–265 (1972)
Nie, N.H., Hull, C.N., Jenkens, J.C., Steinbrenner, K., Bent, D.J.: SPSS: Statistical package for the social sciences, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill 1975
Rhoades, D.F., Cates, R.G.: A general theory of plant antiherbivore chemistry. Recent Adv. Phytochem. 10, 168–213 (1976)
Sokal, R.R., Rohlf, F.J.: Biometry: the principle and practice of statistics in biological research. San Francisco: Freeman 1969
Wasbauer, M.S.: An annotated host catalog of the fruit flies of America north of Mexico (Diptera: Tephritidae). Calif. Dept. Agric., Bull. Entomol. Occas. Papers #19 (1972)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hare, J.D., Futuyma, D.J. Different effects of variation in Xanthium strumarium L. (Compositae) on two insect seed predators. Oecologia 37, 109–120 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349997
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349997