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Seasonal change of Lepidopteran larval assemblage associated with leaf quality
Author(s) -
Lee Jin,
An JeongSeop,
Na SnagHyun,
Choi SeiWoong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
entomological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1748-5967
pISSN - 1738-2297
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-5967.2011.00404.x
Subject(s) - biology , lepidoptera genitalia , larva , herbivore , japonica , botany , host (biology) , horticulture , ecology
The community structure of herbivorous animals is frequently regulated by the nutritional condition of their host plant. The present study was aimed at investigating relationship between leaf chemistry traits and assemblages of Lepidoptera larvae in southwestern part of Korea. We selected three sites in rural landscapes and lepidopteran larvae were collected using a beating sheet from May to August. We collected leaves of two major host plants, Eurya japonica Thunb and Quercusserrata Thunb and measured water content, nitrogen content, carbon content and area eaten of leaf. During the last four months we collected a total of 481 individuals in more than 25 different plant species. The number of larvae was highest in July and most abundant in Eurya japonica with 253 individuals. Leaf quality varied in each month. The correlation between leaf quality and assemblage of larvae showed that the carbon content only affected the number of larvae (r =−0.833, p < 0.01). Interestingly the water content and area eaten by the larvae was positively correlated (r = 0.835, p < 0.05).