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Leaf wilting alters a plant species ranking by the grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis
Author(s) -
LEWIS A. C.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1982.tb00681.x
Subject(s) - biology , grasshopper , helianthus annuus , wilting , sunflower , botany , plant species , agronomy , ecology
. 1. Field observations of the feeding behaviour of the polyphagous grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis suggest that plant quality can override plant species as a determinant of choice. When offered binary choices in laboratory tests between leaves of two host plant species, Helianthus annuus and Ambrosia trifida , in all combinations of wilted and turgid, grasshoppers prefer A. trifida in all test conditions, except when it is turgid and H.annuus is wilted. In this case, the preference switches to H.annuus 2. Preliminary evidence suggests that chemical factors are responsible for the alteration in preference.