Intraspecific variability in adult flea beetle behaviour and larval performance on an atypical host plant

Nielsen, Jens Kvist

doi:10.1007/978-94-009-1720-0_37

Cited by 14 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Nevertheless, frequencies of genotypes with R-genes were high in all populations living on B. vulgaris , (Nielsen, 1997b;de Jong & Nielsen, 1999;. Beetles with R-genes can feed on the G-type of B. vulgaris , but no preference for this plant has been documented (Nielsen, 1996). Finally, no fitness consequences of R-genes (either negative or positive) have been documented when beetles are feeding on plants outside the genus Barbarea in the laboratory (Nielsen, 1999;Agerbirk et al, 2003, P.W.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temporal and host‐related variation in frequencies of genes that enable Phyllotreta nemorum to utilize a novel host plant, Barbarea vulgaris

Nielsen¹,

Jong

2005

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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The flea beetle, Phyllotreta nemorum L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an intermediate specialist feeding on a small number of plants within the family Brassicaceae. The most commonly used host plant is Sinapis arvensis L., whereas the species is found more rarely on Cardaria draba (L.) Desv., Barbarea vulgaris R.Br., and cultivated radish ( Raphanus sativus L.). The interaction between flea beetles and Barbarea vulgaris ssp. arcuata (Opiz.) Simkovics seems to offer a good opportunity for experimental studies of coevolution. The plant is polymorphic, as it contains one type (the P-type) that is susceptible to all flea beetle genotypes, and another type (the G-type) that is resistant to some genotypes. At the same time, the flea beetle is also polymorphic, as some genotypes can utilize the G-type whereas others cannot. The ability to utilize the G-type of B. vulgaris ssp. arcuata is controlled by major dominant genes (R-genes). The present investigation measured the frequencies of flea beetles with R-genes in populations living on different host plants in 2 years (1999 and 2003). Frequencies of beetles with R-genes were high in populations living on the G-type of B. vulgaris ssp. arcuata in both years. Frequencies of beetles with R-genes were lower in populations living on other host plants, and declining frequencies were observed in five out of six populations living on S. arvensis . Selection in favour of R-genes in populations living on B. vulgaris is the most likely mechanism to account for the observed differences in the relative abundance of R-genes in flea beetle populations utilizing different host plants. A geographic mosaic with differential levels of interactions between flea beetles and their host plants was demonstrated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, different R-genes may have different effects. Our knowledge about R-genes originates from investigations of populations that use B. vulgaris as a natural host plant, and where major R-genes with large effects on the survival and behaviour on the G-type of B. vulgaris predominate (Nielsen, 1996(Nielsen, , 1999.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and host‐related variation in frequencies of genes that enable Phyllotreta nemorum to utilize a novel host plant, Barbarea vulgaris

Nielsen¹,

Jong

2005

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…Relatively simple plant genetic mechanisms can suffice to cause such geographic variations (e.g. Nielsen, 1996;Linhart & Thompson, 1999). For instance, the flea beetle Phyllotreta nemorum uses three species of Barbarea (Brassicaceae) as hosts in Denmark (Nielsen, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nielsen, 1996;Linhart & Thompson, 1999). For instance, the flea beetle Phyllotreta nemorum uses three species of Barbarea (Brassicaceae) as hosts in Denmark (Nielsen, 1996). Only certain populations of the most common of the three plants, B. vulgaris, are used as hosts by the beetle since most B. vulgaris populations are toxic to P. nemorum.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, some beetle populations live on B. vulgaris that are toxic to beetles from other sites. A small number of insect genes is responsible for this pattern of resistance and susceptibility (Nielsen, 1996). Thus, the fact that an allopatric plant is an accepted host under experimental conditions does not necessarily mean that it would be used by a sympatric insect population in nature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Performance of leaf beetle larvae on sympatric host and non‐host plants

Ballabeni

Rahier

2000

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Studies asking the ability of insects to utilize novel host plants often use novel hosts that are allopatric with the insect population under investigation. However, since the outcomes of species interactions are often site-specific, such studies cannot tell us whether a plant would actually be used by a given insect population if the plant grew sympatrically with it. We therefore performed a quantitative genetics experiment to analyse the performance of larvae of the leaf beetle Oreina elongata Suffrian (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae) on two host and three non-host plants, collected from a site where insects and plants co-occur in the Western Alps. When raised on the non-host Petasites albus (L.), larvae were able to survive equally well as on the two hosts, Adenostyles alliariae (Gouan) and Cirsium spinosissimum (L.), whereas they did not survive on the two other non-hosts, Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) and Rumex alpinus L. On P. albus, growth rate was slightly lower and development time slightly longer than on the two hosts. We found a genotype by environment interaction only for growth rate but not for development time and survival. However, the shape of the reaction norms of growth rates suggests that it is unlikely that selection could favour the inclusion of P. albus into the host range of the study population.

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Host plant use of Phyllotreta nemorum: do coadapted gene complexes play a role?

Jong

Nielsen²

2002

Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships

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The view of (insect) populations as assemblages of local subpopulations connected by gene flow is gaining ground. In such structured populations, local adaptation may occur. In phytophagous insects, one way in which local adaptation has been demonstrated is by performing reciprocal transplant experiments where performance of insects on native and novel host plants are compared. Trade-offs are assumed to be responsible for a negative correlation in performance on alternative host plants. Due to mixed results of these experiments, the importance of tradeoffs in host plant use of phytophagous insects has been under discussion. Here we propose that another genetic mechanism, the evolution of coadapted gene complexes, might also be associated with local adaptation. In this case, however, transplant experiments might not reveal any local adaptation until hybridization takes place. We review the results we have obtained in our work on the host plant use of the flea beetle Phyllotreta nemorum L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), and propose a hypothesis involving coadapted genes to explain the distribution of genes that render P. nemorum resistant to defences of one of its host plants, Barbarea vulgaris R. Br. (Cruciferae).

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Intraspecific variability in adult flea beetle behaviour and larval performance on an atypical host plant

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Temporal and host‐related variation in frequencies of genes that enable Phyllotreta nemorum to utilize a novel host plant, Barbarea vulgaris

Temporal and host‐related variation in frequencies of genes that enable Phyllotreta nemorum to utilize a novel host plant, Barbarea vulgaris

Performance of leaf beetle larvae on sympatric host and non‐host plants

Host plant use of Phyllotreta nemorum: do coadapted gene complexes play a role?

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