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Holey Aroids: Circular Trenching Behavior by a Leaf Beetle in Vietnam
Author(s) -
Darling D. Christopher
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2007.00282.x
Subject(s) - araceae , biology , botany , host (biology) , zoology , ecology
The leaf beetle Aplosonyx ancora cuts circular trenches on the underside of leaves of their aroid host plants before feeding. Latex is exuded from these cuts and the beetles feed intermittently on these isolated tissues, apparently avoiding the latex. Circular feeding holes occur only in Araceae in which latex is contained in cells or vessels with cells bridging adjacent files (“anastomosing laticifers”). The phylogeny of Araceae and the restricted host records suggest a coevolutionary arms race and parallel phylogenesis between Aplosonyx and its aroid hosts.