The effect of host plant chemical defenses on the consumption rate of aphids by lacewing larvae.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sequestered plant toxins in aphids on the feeding rate of Chrysopidae carnea, a predator of aphids. We observed whether the difference in host plant of the aphids affected the consumption of prey by C. carnea. We conducted feeding trails with C. carnea and aphids from Asclepias syriaca and Populus balsamifera. We found that there was not a statistical difference between the consumption rates of the two species of aphids by the predator. There was also no significant difference in the carbon and nitrogen composition of the aphids. The C. carnea larvae were generalist predators that were not deterred by the chemical toxins. In this trophic system the herbivores adapted to survive the plant’s chemical defenses. Predators also suggested survival adaptations to the chemical defenses, which could lead to greater host plant viability by decreasing the population of aphids.