Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 108, Issue 17, Pages 7070-7074Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1102891108
Keywords
defense-free space; invasion ecology; phylogenetic ecology; preference-performance relationship
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation [IOS-0842800]
- US National Science Foundation [DEB-0950231]
- Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems [0842800] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
It has long been hypothesized that invasive pests may be facilitated by the evolutionary naivete of their new hosts, but this prediction has never been examined in a phylogenetic framework. To address the hypothesis, we have been studying the invasive viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), which is decimating North American native species of Viburnum, a clade of worldwide importance as understory shrubs and ornamentals. In a phylogenetic field experiment using 16 species of Viburnum, we show that old-world Viburnum species that evolved in the presence of Pyrrhalta beetles mount a massive defensive wound response that crushes eggs of the pest insect; in contrast, naive North American species that share no evolutionary history with Pyrrhalta beetles show a markedly lower response. This convergent continental difference in the defensive response of Viburnum spp. against insect oviposition contrasts with little difference in the quality of leaves for beetle larvae. Females show strong oviposition preferences that correspond with larval performance regardless of continental origin, which has facilitated colonization of susceptible North American species. Thus, although much attention has been paid to escape from enemies as a factor in the establishment and spread of nonnative organisms, the colonization of undefended resources seems to play a major role in the success of invasive species such as the viburnum leaf beetle.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available