Physiological state of female and light intensity affect the host-plant selection of carrot psyllid, Trioza apicalis (Hemiptera : Triozidae)
Författare
Summary, in English
We have studied the effect of different light gradient regimes on host-plant selection of the carrot psyllid, Trioza apicalis Forster. In both a strong and a weak light gradient, carrot psyllids preferred a carrot leaf placed in higher light intensity. When the choice was between the host (carrot Daucus carota L.) and a non-host (barley Hordeum vulgare L.) virgin adults settled significantly more often on non-host in higher light intensity than on carrot in lower light intensity. In a weak light gradient, none of the gravid females settled on a non-host. In an experiment without light gradient, gravid females showed a preference for carrot, whereas virgin females settled approximately equally on Norway spruce Picea abies Karst. (winter shelter plant) and carrot. Our results show that virgin and gravid individuals have different host-plant selection behaviour, and that they are sensitive to small differences in light intensity. Both factors can create a source of variation in behavioural assays, and should be taken into consideration in future experiments with this and probably also related species. Our results suggest that carrot psyllids can utilize visual cues (light intensity or wavelength) in host-plant selection, and the role of visual cues should be more thoroughly studied.
Publiceringsår
2008
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
227-232
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
European Journal of Entomology
Volym
105
Issue
2
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
CZECH ACAD SCI
Ämne
- Biological Sciences
- Zoology
Nyckelord
- host-plant selection
- Daucus carota
- Picea
- abies
- light intensity
- host preference
- light gradient
- behaviour
- physiological state
- Trioza apicalis
- triozidae
Status
Published
Projekt
- Chemical ecology of psyllids
Forskningsgrupp
- Pheromone Group
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1210-5759