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Foliar Phenolics are Differently Associated with Epirrita autumnata Growth and Immunocompetence

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Abstract

The quality of available food may affect insect herbivores directly (via growth and survivorship) and/or indirectly (by modifying insect vulnerability to parasitoids and pathogens). We examined the relationship between different phenolic compounds, belonging to various phenolic groups, in Betula pubescens spp. czerepanovii (mountain birch) foliage and the larval performance of the geometrid Epirrita autumnata (autumnal moth). Direct effects on insect performance were described by pupal weight, developmental rate, and survivorship; indirect effects were described by the encapsulation rate of an implant inserted into the insect hemocoel, a commonly used way to describe insect immune defense. We found profound differences in the effects of different phenolic categories: several individual hydrolyzable tannins were associated positively with larval performance but negatively with level of immune defense, whereas flavonoid glycosides were inversely related to larval survival but showed no association with the larvae immune defense.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff of the Kevo Subartic Research Station for making this study possible. Irma Saloniemi and Kari Saikkonen gave helpful comments on the manuscript. Ellen Valle checked the language. The study was supported financially by the Academy of Finland: project 212712 (EH), 206144 (TR), 201073 (VO), and 207294 (MJR). The experiments presented comply with the current laws of Finland.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Sanna Haviola, Lauri Kapari, Markus J. Rantala, Teija Ruuhola & Erkki Haukioja

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, 20014, Finland

    Vladimir Ossipov

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  1. Sanna Haviola
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  2. Lauri Kapari
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  3. Vladimir Ossipov
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Correspondence to Sanna Haviola.

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Haviola, S., Kapari, L., Ossipov, V. et al. Foliar Phenolics are Differently Associated with Epirrita autumnata Growth and Immunocompetence. J Chem Ecol 33, 1013–1023 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9271-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9271-8

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