Females and Larvae of a Geometrid Moth, Cleorodes lichenaria, Prefer a Lichen Host That Assures Shortest Larval Period

Pöykkö, Heikki

doi:10.1093/ee/35.6.1669

Cited by 31 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Many authors reported similar effects of lichen secondary metabolites by using polyphagus or generalist model species (Zukal 1895;Slansky 1979;Reutimann and Scheidegger 1987;Blewitt and Cooper-Driver 1990;Fahselt 1994;Giez et al 1994;Hyvärinen and Crittenden 2000;Gauslaa 2005;Pöykkö et al 2005;Lawrey 1983;Blewitt and Cooper-Driver 1990;Emmerich et al 1993;Giez et al 1994). Though in good accordance with these studies, our experiments are among the first to show that even specialized lichen feeders are negatively affected by usnic acid concentrations, which are typically found in widely distributed lichens (see also Pöykkö 2006Pöykkö , 2011a. Ramalina, the natural host of C. lichenaria, contains relatively low concentrations of usnic acid, and these concentrations are easily handled by the larvae .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Some lichenivores, however, are specialized in feeding on lichens that are rich in usnic acid, and the response of such specialists to different levels of usnic acid is rarely reported. Cleorodes lichenaria (Hufnagel) is a licheneating geometrid moth feeding on several Ramalina species containing usnic acid (Pöykkö 2006). C. lichenaria larvae seem to have adapted to the small amounts of metabolites present in Ramalina; neonate larvae are slightly stunted, but later stages remain completely unaffected .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Response of the lichen-eating moth Cleorodes lichenaria larvae to varying amounts of usnic acid in the lichens

Goga

Pöykkö

Adlassnig

et al. 2015

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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Lichens are characterized by a great variety of secondary metabolites. The function of these substances remains partly unknown. In this study, we propose that some of these metabolites may expel insect herbivores. To test this hypothesis, we reared larvae of the lichenivorous moth Cleorodes lichenaria on three selected lichens, Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis, Usnea hirta, and Usnea dasypoga. In experimental setup, the secondary metabolite usnic acid was removed from the lichens with acetone prior to feeding, whereas a control was left untreated. On all three lichens, removal of usnic acid from the lichens using acetone significantly prolonged survival of larvae and increased their viability. Larvae reared on control lichens contained significantly more usnic acid than those reared on treated lichens, both in their biomass and their faeces. These results support the hypothesis that usnic acid serves as a repellent against insect feeding, besides its well established functions of UV protection and antimicrobial properties.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of the lichen-eating moth Cleorodes lichenaria larvae to varying amounts of usnic acid in the lichens

Goga

Pöykkö

Adlassnig

et al. 2015

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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“…The genus, with its single, lichenivorous (e.g. Pöykkö, 2006) European species C. lichenaria Hufnagel, 1767, was considered to be monotypic for a long time. Quite recently, however, another species, C. incerta Rungs, 1975 was described from Morocco.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cleorodes Warren, 1894 does not belong in the tribe Boarmiini (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

Viidalepp¹,

Tammaru²,

Snäll³

et al. 2007

Eur. J. Entomol.

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Abstract. The geometrid genusCleorodes is shown to belong in the tribe Gnophini (sensu lato) and not in Boarmiini as previously assumed. The conclusion is based on an analysis of morphological characters of a number of genera in these tribes. Moreover, the result is unambiguously supported by a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence variation in three nuclear gene regions (segments D1 and D2 of 28S rRNA, and elongation factor 1 ) and a mitochondrial gene, cytochrome oxidase-1. The phylogenetic hypothesis is based on a combined sequence data set, which was analysed using direct optimisation.

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“…Because of the assumption of immobility and limited discrimination ability of neonate caterpillars, the sensory detection of host‐plant suitability by the adult is considered a crucial trait that has a decisive impact on the growth and development of the juveniles (Jaenike 1978, Thompson 1988). A series of studies explored the correlation between butterfly oviposition preference and larval performance on the preferred plants (Wiklund 1975, Damman and Feeny 1988, Nylin and Janz 1993, Pöykkö 2006), and a recent meta‐analysis of the literature provides supportive quantitative evidence for this theory in bi‐trophic settings considering plants and herbivores (Gripenberg et al 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neonates know better than their mothers when selecting a host plant

Soler

Pineda

et al. 2012

Oikos

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Evolutionary ecological theory predicts that among insect herbivores ‘mothers know best’ when selecting a plant to deposit their eggs. Host‐plant selection is usually studied for the adult stage exclusively, although mothers have not always been reported to know best. Here, we investigate the host‐plant selection behaviour of caterpillars, which are considered to be completely dependent on their mothers’ choices. We use a system that offers a biologically relevant framework to compare the degree of participation of adults and juveniles in host‐plant selection. Our results show that neonate Pieris brassicae caterpillars can actively discriminate between conspecific Brassica oleracea plants with or without aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) infestation. The caterpillars prefer aphid‐infested plants on which their performance is significantly better, while their mothers, the female butterflies, did not discriminate. We compared caterpillar preferences of individuals released individually or in groups, because P. brassicae is a gregarious species. We found that the strength of the preference for aphid‐infested plants was not affected by the degree of grouping. Caterpillar choices were made before contact with the plants, indicating that plant odours were used for orientation. However, the composition of the volatile blends emitted by plants with and without aphids did not show strong differences. Similarly, like with aphid‐infested plants, plants treated with salicylic acid (SA) were also preferred by neonates over untreated control, indicating that the infestation by aphids may have rendered the plants more attractive to the neonates via changes related to interference with JA‐signaling. The main parasitoid of the caterpillars did not discriminate between plants with hosts in the presence or absence of aphids, showing that top–down forces do not influence the relative suitability of the different food sources for the caterpillars. These data are discussed in the context of mothers and offspring having both important, but different roles in the process of host‐plant selection. Butterflies may select the plant species patch, while their offspring adjust and/or update the choices of their mothers at the local scale, within the micro‐habitat selected by the adult.

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Females and Larvae of a Geometrid Moth, Cleorodes lichenaria, Prefer a Lichen Host That Assures Shortest Larval Period

Cited by 31 publications

References 34 publications

Response of the lichen-eating moth Cleorodes lichenaria larvae to varying amounts of usnic acid in the lichens

Response of the lichen-eating moth Cleorodes lichenaria larvae to varying amounts of usnic acid in the lichens

Cleorodes Warren, 1894 does not belong in the tribe Boarmiini (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

Neonates know better than their mothers when selecting a host plant

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