Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effects of natural enemies, competition, and host plant water availability on an aphid population

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

I used a factorial experiment repeated in two years to assess the relative effects of natural enemy attack, interspecific competition, and water availability to the host plant, and of interactions among these factors, on the population dynamics of the aphid Aphis varians feeding on fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium). The impact of a suite of coccinellid and syrphid predators emerged as the predominant factor affecting the success of aphid colonies: colonies protected from natural enemies grew in size at a rate of ten percent per day, were only one tenth as likely to go extinct, and produced over ten times more dispersing alates. In contrast, I found only minor effects of removing flea beetles, the most abundant herbivore with which A. varians colonies cohabit fireweed stems, and of supplementing water availability to fireweed host plants, in spite of a significant effect of watering frequency on aphid growth in the green-house. There was no evidence of significant two- or three-way interactions among factors. Hence, despite the potential complexity of the food web in which it is embedded, the dynamics of A. varians appears to be driven predominantly by a single factor, i.e. interactions with natural enemies.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Addicott JF (1978a) Niche relationships among species of aphids feeding on fireweed. Can J Zool 56: 1837–1841

    Google Scholar 

  • Addicott JF (1978b) Competition for mutualists: aphids and ants. Can J Zool 56: 2093–2096

    Google Scholar 

  • Addicott JF (1979) A multispecies aphid-ant association: density depedence and species-specific effects. Can J Zool 57: 558–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernays EA, Graham M (1988) On the evolution of host specificity in phytophagous arthropods. Ecology 69: 886–893

    Google Scholar 

  • Cushman JH, Addicott JF (1989) Intra- and interspecific competition for mutualists: ants as a limited and limiting resource for aphids. Oecologia 79: 315–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Edson JL (1985) The influences of predation and resource subdivision on the coexistence of goldenrod aphids. Ecology 66: 1736–1743

    Google Scholar 

  • Faeth SH (1985) Host leaf selection by leaf miners: interactions among three trophic levels. Ecology 66: 870–875

    Google Scholar 

  • Faeth SH (1986) Indirect interactions between temporally separated herbivores mediated by the host plant. Ecology 67: 479–494

    Google Scholar 

  • Faeth SH (1987) Community structure and folivorous insect outbreaks: the roles of vertical and horizontal interactions. In: Barbosa P, Schultz JC (eds) Insect Outbreaks. Academic Press, New York, pp 135–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson C, Visser M (1982) Interspecific competition between two field populations of grass-feeding bugs. Ecol Ent 7: 61–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Hairston NG, Smith FE, Slobodkin L (1960) Community structure, population control, and competition. Am Nat 44: 421–425

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison S, Karban R (1986) Effects of an early-season folivorous moth on the success of a later-season species, mediated by a change in the quality of the shared host, Lupinus arboreus Sims. Oecologia 69: 354–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang C, Sih A (1991) Experimental studies on direct and indirect interactions in a three trophic-level stream system. Oecologia 85: 530–536

    Google Scholar 

  • Karban R (1986) Interspecific competition between folivorous insects on Erigeron glaucus. Ecology 67: 1063–1072

    Google Scholar 

  • Karban R (1989) Community organization of Erigeron glaucus folivores: effects of competition, predation, and host plant. Ecology 70: 1028–1039

    Google Scholar 

  • Karban R, Carey J (1984) Induced resistance of cotton seedlings to mites. Science 225: 53–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Kareiva P, Sahakian R (1990) Tritrophic effects of a simple architectural mutation in pea plants. Nature 345: 433–434

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawton JH, McNeill J (1979) Between the devil and the deep blue sea: on the problem of being an herbivore. Symp Br Ecol Soc 22: 223–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawton JH, Strong DR (1981) Community patterns and competition in folivorous insects. Am Nat 118: 317–338

    Google Scholar 

  • McClure MS, Price PW (1975) Competition among sympatric Erythroneura leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on American sycamore. Ecology 56: 1388–1397

    Google Scholar 

  • Michels GJ, Undersander DJ (1986) Temporal and spatial distribution of the greenbug (Homoptera: Aphidae) on sorghum in relation to water stress. J Econ Ent 79: 1221–1225

    Google Scholar 

  • Morin PJ (1986) Interactions between intraspecific competition and predation in an amphibian predator prey system. Ecology 67: 713–720

    Google Scholar 

  • Morin PJ, Lawler SP, Johnson EA (1988) Competition between aquatic insects and vertebrates: interaction strength and higher order interactions. Ecology 69: 1401–1409

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris WF, Wiser SD, Klepetka B (1992) Causes and consequences of spatial aggregation in the phytophagous beetle Altica tombacina. J An Ecol 61: 49–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdoch WW, Walde SJ (1989) Analysis of insect population dynamics. Symp Br Ecol Soc 30: 113–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Price PW, Bouton CE, Gross P, McPheron BA, Thompson JN, Weis AE (1980) Interactions among three trophic levels: influence of plants on interactions between insect herbivores and natural enemies. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 11: 41–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Price PW, Clancy KM (1986) Interactions among three trophic levels: gall size and parasitoid attack. Ecology 67: 1593–1600

    Google Scholar 

  • Service P, Lenski R (1982) Aphid genotypes, plant phenotypes, and genetic diversity: a demographic analysis of experimental data. Evolution 36: 1276–1282

    Google Scholar 

  • Seifert RP, Seifert FH (1976) A community matrix analysis of Heliconia insect communities. Am Nat 110: 461–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Smiley JT, Horn JM, Rank NE (1985) Ecological effects of salicin at three trophic levels: new problems from old adaptations. Science 229: 649–651

    Google Scholar 

  • Stamp NE (1984) Herbivory, timing of defoliation, and plant availability: the effect of checkerspot caterpillars and sawfly larvae on their host plants. Oecologia 63: 275–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Starks KJ, Muniappan R, Eikenbary RD (1972) Interaction between plant resistance and parasitism against the greenbug on barley and sorghum. Ann Ent Soc Am 65: 650–655

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiling PD (1980) Competition and coexistence among Eupteryx leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) occurring on stinging nettles (Urtica dioica L.). J An Ecol 49: 793–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiling PD, Strong DR (1983) Competition among Spartina stem borers, by means of murder. Ecology 64: 770–778

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiling PD, Strong DR (1984) Experimental density manipulation of stem-boring insects: some evidence for interspecific competition. Ecology 65: 1683–1685

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss SY (1991a) Direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of three native herbivores on a shared host plant. Ecology 72: 543–558

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss SY (1991b) Indirect effects in community ecology: their definition, study, and importance. Trends Ecol Evol 6: 206–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Strong DR, Lawton JH, Southwood R (1984) Insects on Plants. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, Ch. 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugg PM (1989) Arthropod Populations at Mount St. Helens: Survival and Revival. Ph.D. thesis, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Sumner LC, Eikenbarry RD, Johnson RC (1986) Survival and reproduction of Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (Homoptera: Aphidae) on winter wheat, during simulated drought stress. J Kansas Ent Soc 59: 561–563

    Google Scholar 

  • Turchin P, Kareiva P (1989) Aggregation in Aphis varians: an effective strategy for reducing predation risk. Ecology 70: 1008–1016

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Buskirk J (1988) Interactive effects of dragonfly predation in experimental pond communities. Ecology 69: 857–867

    Google Scholar 

  • Wearing CH (1967) Effects of water stress in host plants on the fecundity of Myzus persicae and Brevicoryne brassicae. Nature 213: 1052–1053

    Google Scholar 

  • Wearing CH, van Embden HF (1967) Effects of water stress n host plants on infestation by Aphis fabae, Myzus persicae, and Brevicoryne brassicae. Nature 213: 1051–1052

    Google Scholar 

  • Weis AE, Abrahamson WG (1986) Evolution of host-plant manipulation by gall makers: ecological and genetic factors in the Solidago-Eurosta system. Am Nat 127: 681–695

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilbur HM (1972) Competition, predation, and the structure of the Ambystoma-Rana sylvatica community. Ecology 57: 3–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilbur HM (1987) Regulation of structure in complex systems: experimental temporary pond communities. Ecology 68: 1437–1452

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilbur HM, Fauth JE (1990) Experimental aquatic food webs: interactions between two predators and two prey. Am Nat 135: 176–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson L (1989) SYSTAT: The System for Stastics. SYSTAT Inc., Evanston, IL

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. William F. Morris

    Present address: Center for Population Biology, University of California, 95616, Davis, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, NJ-15, University of Washington, 98195, Seattle, WA, USA

    William F. Morris

Authors
  1. William F. Morris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morris, W.F. The effects of natural enemies, competition, and host plant water availability on an aphid population. Oecologia 90, 359–365 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317692

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317692

Key words

Search

Navigation