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The suitability of damaged willow leaves as food for the leaf beetle, Phgiodera versicolora
Author(s) -
RAUPP MICHAEL J.,
DENNO ROBERT F.
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.tb00842.x
Subject(s) - willow , biology , larva , fecundity , botany , leaf beetle , horticulture , population , demography , sociology
. 1. The effect of previous damage on the suitability of willow ( Mix bubylonicu and S.ulbu ‘Tristis’) leaves as food for the imported willow leaf beetle, Plugiodera versicoloru Laich. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), was evaluated by feeding adults and larvae leaves from damaged and undamaged branchlets. 2. Females had lower fecundity when fed leaves from artificially damaged branchlets of S.ufba ‘Tristis’. A similar result was obtained when beetles ate leaves from naturally damaged branchlets of S.babylonica . 3. Feeding preference tests suggest that the reductions in leaf suitability were not due to adults avoiding damaged leaves as a food source. 4. PZugiodera versicolora larvae required longer to develop and attained a lower adult weight when fed leaves from damaged branchlets. 5. Changes in leaf suitability brought about by herbivore feeding may affect the seasonal abundance of P.versicoloru on its willow hosts.