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Sex and Drugs and Herbivores: Sex‐Biased Herbivory in Arroyo Willow (Salix Lasiolepis)
Author(s) -
Boecklen William J.,
Price Peter W.,
Mopper Susan
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1940311
Subject(s) - sawfly , willow , biology , herbivore , salicaceae , sexual dimorphism , botany , salix viminalis , phenology , tenthredinidae , woody plant , ecology , hymenoptera , zoology
We document through correlative and experimental analyses sex—biased herbivory in the arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis. Male willows typically support higher densities of five species of tenthredinid sawflies than do female willows. Significant intersexual variation sawfly densities exists in naturally occurring willow clones and in clones grown in a common garden. Arroyo willow is sexually dimorphic in leafing phenology and in aspects of leaf chemistry. Male willows have significantly longer vegetative shoots than do females at the time of sawfly oviposition (P = .01). Males also have significantly higher foliar concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than do females. Female willows have a marginally significant (P = .093) higher concentration of total phenols. Of the dimorphic traits, only variation in leaf phenology is a consistent predictor of variation in sawfly densities among willow clones.