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IMPORTANCE OF COMPETITION MECHANISMS IN SUCCESSIVE INVASIONS BY POLYPHAGOUS TEPHRITIDS IN LA RÉUNION
Author(s) -
Duyck Pierre-François,
David Patrice,
Junod Guillemette,
Brunel Caroline,
Dupont Raphaël,
Quilici Serge
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[1770:iocmis]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - interspecific competition , tephritidae , biology , competition (biology) , ceratitis capitata , ecology , introduced species , invasive species , capitata , larva , botany , pest analysis , brassica oleracea
Understanding the strength and modes of interspecific interactions between introduced and resident species (native or previously introduced) is necessary to predict invasion success. We evaluated different mechanisms of interspecific competition among four species of polyphagous fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) from the island of La Réunion: one endemic species, Ceratitis catoirii , and three exotic species, C. capitata , C. rosa , and Bactrocera zonata , that have successively invaded the island. Larval competition experiments, i.e., co‐infestations of the same fruit, and behavioral interference experiments measuring the ability of one female to displace another from a fruit, were performed among all pairs of the four species. We observed asymmetric and hierarchical interactions among species in both larval and adult interference competition. In agreement with the hypothesis that invasion is competition‐limited, the competitive hierarchy coincided with the temporal sequence of establishment on the island, i.e., each newly established species tended to be competitively dominant over previously established ones.