10.5061/DRYAD.20NF5
Laukkanen, Liisa
University of Turku
Leimu, Roosa
University of Oxford
Muola, Anne
University of Turku
Lilley, Marianna
University of Turku
Mutikainen, Pia
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich
Data from: Genetic factors affecting food-plant specialization of an
oligophagous seed predator
Dryad
dataset
2012
Lygaeus equestris
evolution of specialization
Crepis tectorum
Heteroptera
Tanacetum vulgare
Verbascum thapsus
diet specialization
food-plant specialization
specialist herbivore
Vincetoxicum hirundinaria
2012-10-12T19:57:33Z
2012-10-12T19:57:33Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12037
140800 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Several ecological and genetic factors affect the diet specialization of
insect herbivores. The evolution of specialization may be constrained by
lack of genetic variation in herbivore performance on different food plant
species. By traditional view, trade-offs, i.e., negative genetic
correlations between the performance of the herbivores on different
food-plant species favour the evolution of specialization. To investigate
whether there is genetic variation or trade-offs in herbivore performance
between different food plants that may influence specialization of the
oligophagous seed-eating herbivore, Lygaeus equestris (Heteroptera), we
conducted a feeding trial in laboratory using four food-plant species.
Although L. equestris is specialized on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria
(Apocynaceae) to some degree, it occasionally feeds on alternative
food-plant species. We did not find significant negative genetic
correlations between mortality, developmental time, and adult biomass of
L. equestris on the different food-plant species. We found genetic
variation in mortality and developmental time of L. equestris on some of
the food plants, but not in adult biomass. Our results suggest that
trade-offs do not affect adaptation and specialization of L. equestris to
current and novel food-plant species, but the lack of genetic variation
may restrict food-plant utilization. Since food-plant specialization of
herbivores may have wide-ranging effects for instance on coevolving
plant-herbivore interactions and speciation, it is essential to thoroughly
understand the factors behind the specialization process. Our findings
provide valuable information about the role of genetic factors in
food-plant specialization of this oligophagous herbivore.
Feeding trials of Lygaeus equestrisData from laboratory experiment. Data
file created with Excel 2010.Dryad_data_Laukkanen.xls
Sweden
Finland