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Effects of cyanogenesis in bracken fern ( Pteridium aquilinum ) on associated insects
Author(s) -
SCHREINER ILSE,
NAFUS DONALD,
PIMENTEL DAVID
Publication year - 1984
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.1365-2311.1984.tb00699.x
Subject(s) - bracken , pteridium aquilinum , biology , fern , aphid , sawfly , tenthredinidae , frond , botany , macrosiphum euphorbiae , aphididae , larva , pest analysis , homoptera
. 1. The relationship between cyanogenesis in bracken fern and the insect fauna feeding on the plant was investigated over a 3 year period. The most common insects between May and July, while cyanide levels were high, were the sawflies Strongylogaster impressata Provancher, S.multicincta Norton, Aneug‐menus fzavipes (Norton), the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) and a microlepidopteran species of Monochroa . 2. Collections of insects from cyanogenic and acyanogenic fronds showed significantly fewer sawflies on the cyanogenic fronds. The aphid and the microlepidopteran were randomly distributed with respect to cyanogenicity. 3. Feeding tests for two of the sawfly species ( Simpressata and Smulticincta ) showed that larvae grew more slowly and had a higher mortality when raised on cyanogenic fronds than on acyanogenic ones. 4. Field collected cyanogenic bracken fronds were found to have sustained less damage from chewing herbivores compared with acyanogenic fronds.