The Nutritional Requirements of Phytophagous Insects: Why do Insects Feed on Plants?

Offor, Emeka

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1535274

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The chlorophyll content reflects the plant's nitrogen concentration and has been found to indirectly affect herbivore survival and distribution (Scheirs & De Bruyn, 2004; Sousa‐Souto et al., 2018). Also, organic acids in the plant are necessary for the optimal development of phytophagous insects (Offor, 2010). Therefore, by measuring these, we examined changes in nutrient condition in response to interactions between plants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific interaction of host plants leads to concentrated distribution of a specialist herbivore through metabolic alterations in the leaves

et al. 2021

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Recent studies suggest that changes in leaf traits due to interactions between plants affect resource utilisation by herbivores, as well as herbivore distribution. However, this has not yet been confirmed experimentally. Here, we investigated the effects of phenotypic plasticity in leaf traits of Rumex obtusifolius (host plant) in response to intraspecific and interspecific interactions on the distribution of two leaf beetles, Gastrophysa atrocyanea (specialist herbivore) and Galerucella grisescens (generalist herbivore). We investigated the local population density of R. obtusifolius plants and the presence of leaf beetles on the plants at five study sites. Leaf chemicals (condensed tannins and total phenolics) were compared between aggregated and solitary R. obtusifolius plants. To clarify the effects of the interaction environment of R. obtusifolius plants on their leaf traits and on resource utilisation by the leaf beetles, we compared leaf chemicals and preferences of adult leaf beetles among treatments where R. obtusifolius experienced intraspecific interaction, interspecific interaction or no interaction in cultivation experiments. Finally, we evaluated the independent and combined effects of patch size and intraspecific interaction on leaf beetle distribution in mesocosm experiments. In the field, the presence of the specialist leaf beetle G. atrocyanea was positively correlated with the local population density (rosette overlap ratio) of R. obtusifolius plants; however, there was no correlation in the case of the generalist leaf beetle G. grisescens. In the cultivation experiments, plants in the intraspecific interaction treatment increased their leaf concentrations of condensed tannins and total phenolics, and G. atrocyanea consumed more of these leaves than leaves in other treatments. Similar results were observed in the field. In the mesocosm experiments, larger numbers of G. atrocyanea were distributed on R. obtusifolius plants exposed to below‐ground intraspecific interaction than on plants not exposed to intraspecific interaction. Our results provide experimental evidence that leaf‐trait changes in response to intraspecific interaction between host plants influence specialist herbivore distribution. This highlights the need to integrate plant–plant interactions into our understanding of plant–animal interactions. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific interaction of host plants leads to concentrated distribution of a specialist herbivore through metabolic alterations in the leaves

et al. 2021

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“…These findings are in line with those of Orinda et al (2018) who also reported an inelastic, positive, significant estimate of 0.03% for feed in cricket production. Though a standard feed and optimal feeding regimes in cricket production are still lacking, feed remains essential factor in development and growth of insects since it generates energy essential for metabolic activities (Offor, 2010). However, this finding differed with the results of Ogunniyi et al (2014) who observed a negative coefficients between feed input and production of poultry and pig.…”

Section: Gam-stochastic Frontier Production Estimates For Technical Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 87%

Economic efficiency of cricket production reared under improvised cage system for improved food production

Ng'ong'a¹,

Gor²,

Okuto³

et al. 2021

Afr. J. Agric. Res.

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In the recent past, cricket production has attracted a myriad of interests in the Global Food Sector. However, low production, limited input resources and rearing systems constrain the utilization of crickets. Scanty information exists on sundry input resources for upscaling of cricket production and how such inputs can be efficiently managed. This study sought to determine economic efficiency of improvised cricket rearing system using a generalized additive stochastic frontier approach (GAM-SFA) to assess the efficiency in cricket production under the new technology. Twenty-day old Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus were separately reared in improvised cage system comprising bamboo hideouts, scrap blankets, cut bamboo stems and the plywood-based cages. GAM-SFA was used to estimate efficiency scores. Results revealed that the production was efficient. Feed, labor and water were positive and significant at 5% suggesting their importance and positive influence on cricket output. Similarly, the cost of feed, labor, water and scrap blanket were positive and significant suggesting that increase in these costs of inputs would increase the total cost. The mean TE, AE and EE were 85, 92 and 79%, respectively implying that there still exist potential to increase output using present technology and costs of production. Assessing key determinants of economic efficiency in cricket production under the system is necessary.

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“…The chlorophyll content reflects the plant's nitrogen concentration and has been found to indirectly affect herbivore survival and distribution (Scheirs & De Bruyn, 2004, Sousa-Souto et al, 2018. Also, organic acids in the plant are necessary for the optimal development of phytophagous insects (Offor, 2010). Therefore, by measuring these, we examined changes in nutrient condition in response to interactions between plants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific interaction of host plant influences local distribution of specialist herbivores through metabolic alterations in leaves

Ohsaki

Miyagi

Kawai‐Yamada

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Recent studies suggest that changes in leaf traits due to interactions between plants affect the resource utilisation and distribution of herbivores. However, this has not yet been confirmed experimentally. Here, we investigated the effects of phenotypic plasticity in leaf traits of Rumex obtusifolius (host plant) in response to the intra and interspecific interaction on distribution of two leaf beetles, Gastrophysa atrocyanea (specialist herbivore) and Galerucella grisescens (generalist herbivore). We investigated the local population density of R. obtusifolius plants and the presence of leaf beetles on the plants at five study sites. Leaf chemicals (condensed tannins and total phenolics) were compared between aggregated and solitary R. obtusifolius plants. To clarify the effects of the interaction environment of R. obtusifolius plants on their leaf traits and resource utilisation by leaf beetles, we conducted cultivation and preference experiments. Leaf chemicals (chlorophylls, organic acids, primary metabolites, condensed tannins and total phenolics) and preferences of adult leaf beetles were compared between intraspecific, interspecific plant interaction, or no-interaction treatments. Finally, we evaluated the effects of interaction between R. obtusifolius on leaf beetle distribution in mesocosm experiments. In the field, the presence of the specialist leaf beetle, G. atrocyanea, was positively correlated with the local population density (rosette overlap ratio) of R. obtusifolius plants; however, no correlation was observed in the case of the generalist leaf beetle, G. grisescens. In the cultivation experiment, plants in the intraspecific interaction treatment increased their leaf contents of condensed tannins and total phenolics, and G. atrocyanea consumed more of these leaves than leaves in other treatments. Similar results were observed in the field. In the mesocosm experiment, larger numbers of G. atrocyanea were distributed on R. obtusifolius plants exposed to below-ground intraspecific interaction than on plants not exposed to intraspecific interaction. Our results provide experimental evidence that leaf trait changes in response to intraspecific interaction between host plants influence specialist herbivore distribution. This highlights the need to integrate plant plant interactions into our understanding of plant animal interactions.

show abstract

The Nutritional Requirements of Phytophagous Insects: Why do Insects Feed on Plants?

Cited by 9 publications

References 7 publications

Intraspecific interaction of host plants leads to concentrated distribution of a specialist herbivore through metabolic alterations in the leaves

Intraspecific interaction of host plants leads to concentrated distribution of a specialist herbivore through metabolic alterations in the leaves

Economic efficiency of cricket production reared under improvised cage system for improved food production

Intraspecific interaction of host plant influences local distribution of specialist herbivores through metabolic alterations in leaves

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