Ciclo de vida y enemigos naturales de Mechanitis menapis mantineus (Lepidoptera: Ithomiini)

Santacruz, Paola Giovanna; Despland, Emma; Sánchez, Carlos Javier Frías

doi:10.15517/rbt.v67i6.33654

Cited by 2 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…Mechanitis menapis specializes on forest edges (Young & Moffett, 1979) and is common in disturbed agricultural landscapes (Santacruz-Endara, Despland & Giraldo, 2019). Known host plants are in the Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (Robinson et al, 2010), the "spiny Solanums", characterized by sharp epidermal prickles and stellate trichomes (Levin, Myers & Bohs, 2006).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…on the Western slope of the Andes in the province of Pichincha, Ecuador. In this region, the main host plant (Santacruz-Endara, Despland & Giraldo, 2019) is S. acerifolium Dunal sect. Acanthophora, subgenus Leptostemonum (Nee, 2019a).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our first objective is to determine how the host range expansion affect bottom-up and top-down pressures on this oligophagous herbivore. M. menapis specializes on Solanaceae plants with strong phytochemical and physical defenses; however, on the most common native host plant (Solanum acerifolium), mortality seems mostly due to top-down pressure, notably a parasitoid wasp (Santacruz-Endara, Despland & Giraldo, 2019). We tested if the caterpillars on the novel exotic host, S. myriacanthum, are more or less limited by plant defenses (bottom-up forces) and if they experience enemy release (decrease of top-down pressure).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape

Despland

Santacruz

2020

PeerJ

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The recent introduction in a tropical agricultural environment of a weedy open-habitat plant (Solanum myriacanthum) and subsequent host range expansion of a common forest-edge butterfly (Mechanitis menapis) onto that plant provides an opportunity to examine reconfiguration of tritrophic networks in human-impacted landscapes. The objectives of this study were (1) determine if the caterpillars on the exotic host are more or less limited by plant defenses (bottom-up forces) and if they experience enemy release (decrease of top-down pressure) and (2) define how anthropic open pasture habitat influences the herbivore’s tritrophic niche. Field and laboratory monitoring of larval survival and performance on a native (Solanum acerifolium) host plant and the exotic (S. myriacanthum) host plant were conducted in the Mindo Valley, Ecuador. Plant physical defenses were also measured. Results showed that larval mortality was mostly top-down on S. acerifolium, linked to parasitism, but mostly bottom-up on S. myriacanthum, possibly linked to observed increased plant defenses. Thus, in the absence of co-evolved relationships, herbivores on the exotic host experienced little top-down regulation, but stronger bottom-up pressures from plant defenses. These findings provide a rare empirical example of enemy-free space as a mechanism underlying host-range expansion. S. myriacanthum was less colonized in open pastures than in semi-shaded habitats (forest edges, thickets): fewer eggs were found, suggesting limited dispersal of adult butterflies into the harsh open environments, and the survival rate of first instar larvae was lower than on semi-shaded plants, likely linked to the stronger defenses of sun-grown leaves. These findings show how environmental conditions modulate the rewiring of trophic networks in heavily impacted landscapes, and limit a biocontrol by a native herbivore on an invasive plant in open habitats.

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Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape

Despland

Santacruz

2020

PeerJ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our first objective is to determine how the host range expansion affect bottom-up and top-down pressures on this oligophagous herbivore. M. menapis specializes on Solanaceae plants with strong phytochemical and physical defenses; however, on the most common native host plant (Solanum acerifolium), mortality seems mostly due to topdown pressure, notably a parasitoid wasp (Santacruz-Endara et al, 2019). We tested if the caterpillars on the novel exotic host, S. myriacanthum, are more or less limited by plant defenses (bottom-up forces) and if they experience enemy release (decrease of top-down pressure).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…S. myriacanthum Dunal sect. Acanthophora, a weedy shrub of cultivated lands and pastures whose native range spans from Mexico to northern Nicaragua , has recently been observed in the Mindo region, and M. menapis appears to have expanded its range to include this novel host (Santacruz-Endara et al, 2019). S. myriacanthum uses more open habitats than either S. acerifolium or S. candidum, including fullsun pastures where it tends to exclude other vegetation (see Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer Review #1 of "Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape (v0.1)"

2020

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The recent introduction in a tropical agricultural environment of a weedy open-habitat plant (Solanum myriacanthum) and subsequent host range expansion of a common forestedge butterfly (Mechanitis menapis) onto that plant provides an opportunity to examine reconfiguration of tritrophic networks in human-impacted landscapes. The objectives of this study were (1) determine if the caterpillars on the exotic host are more or less limited by plant defenses (bottom-up forces) and if they experience enemy release (decrease of top-down pressure) and (2) define how anthropic open pasture habitat influences the herbivore`s tritrophic niche. Field and laboratory monitoring of larval survival and performance on a native (Solanum acerifolium) host plant and the exotic (S. myriacanthum) host plant were conducted in the Mindo Valley, Ecuador. Plant physical defenses were also measured. Results showed that larval mortality was mostly top-down on S. acerifolium, linked to parasitism, but mostly bottom-up on S. myriacanthum, possibly linked to observed increased plant defenses. Thus, in the absence of co-evolved relationships, herbivores on the exotic host experienced little top-down regulation, but stronger bottom-up pressures from plant defenses. These findings provide a rare empirical example of enemy-free space as a mechanism underlying host-range expansion. S. myriacanthum was less colonized in open pastures than in semi-shaded habitats (forest edges, thickets): fewer eggs were found, suggesting limited dispersal of adult butterflies into the harsh open environments, and the survival rate of first instar larvae was lower than on semi-shaded plants, likely linked to the stronger defenses of sun-grown leaves. These findings show how environmental conditions modulate the rewiring of trophic networks in heavily impacted landscapes, and limit a biocontrol by a native herbivore on an invasive plant in open habitats.

show abstract

Ciclo de vida y enemigos naturales de Mechanitis menapis mantineus (Lepidoptera: Ithomiini)

Cited by 2 publications

References 35 publications

Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape

Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape

Peer Review #1 of "Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape (v0.1)"

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