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Host plant effects on parasitoid attack on the leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica

  • Plant Animal Interactions
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Abstract

Larvae of the leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica obtain salicyl glucosides (SGs) from the host plant to produce a defensive secretion with salicylaldehyde. In northern Russia, larvae and pupae experience high parasitism by the phorid fly Megaselia opacicornis and tachinid fly Cleonice nitidiuscula. We compared the suitability of the SG-rich Salix borealis and SG-poor S. caprea and S. phylicifolia to Ch. lapponica and tested whether enemy pressure on Ch. lapponica varies among host species that differ in SG content. In the laboratory, survival of Ch. lapponica larvae was higher on S. borealis than on S. caprea and S. phylicifolia, while adult body mass was higher on S. borealis and S. caprea than on S. phylicifolia. In the field, parasitism by both M. opacicornis and Cl. nitidiuscula was greater on beetles from S. borealis than from the SG-poor S. caprea or S. phylicifolia. In a laboratory choice test, the pupal parasitoid M. opacicornis laid similar numbers of eggs on beetles reared on SG-rich and SG-poor willows, suggesting that the host plant-derived defence is not effective against this parasitoid. In a field enemy-exclusion experiment, beetle survival was greatly enhanced by the exclusion of enemies, but survival rates did not differ between S. borealis and S. caprea, although larvae developed faster on S. borealis. On the other hand, parasitism and predation were observed more often on S. borealis than on S. caprea. Thus, beetle larvae perform better but also suffer higher predation and parasitism on S. borealis than on SG-poor willows. Ch. lapponica does not appear to obtain enemy-free space by feeding on SG-rich willow species.

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Acknowledgements

We thank V. Zverev for assistance in the fieldwork and R. H. L. Disney and V. Richter for the discussions on parasitoid biology. We are very grateful to E. Dahlhoff, M. Kozlov, S. Neuvonen, H. Roininen, J. Tahvanainen and three anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on earlier drafts of the manuscripts. This study was financially supported by the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation and the Turku University Foundation.

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  1. Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    E. L. Zvereva

  2. Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, USA

    N. E. Rank

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Correspondence to E. L. Zvereva.

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Zvereva, E.L., Rank, N.E. Host plant effects on parasitoid attack on the leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica . Oecologia 135, 258–267 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1184-9

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