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Tritrophic Investigation of the Evolution of Host Plant Use in an Insect Herbivore: A Case Study with a Leafminer (Amauromyza Flavifrons).

dc.contributor.authorUesugi, Akaneen_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-01-07T16:35:32Z
dc.date.availableNO_RESTRICTIONen_US
dc.date.available2010-01-07T16:35:32Z
dc.date.issued2009en_US
dc.date.submitteden_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/64810
dc.description.abstractHerbivorous insects are characterized by a great diversity of host-plant associations, yet the processes driving host range evolution are not fully understood. In my dissertation, I investigated ecological factors influencing the host plant use in an introduced leafmining fly, Amauromyza flavifrons, from tritrophic perspectives. Amauromyza flavifrons has two host plants, Silene latifolia and Saponaria officinalis in the study locality. When given a choice female flies prefer to oviposit on Si. latifolia over Sa. officinalis. Consistent with the preference-performance hypothesis, larval survival was greater on Si. latifolia than on Sa. officinalis in the absence of natural enemies, indicating that Si. latifolia is a higher quality host for larval development. Parasitism was also lower in Si. latifolia than Sa. officinalis patches, supporting the enemy-free space (EFS) hypothesis. Ephemeral patches of Si. latifolia provided A. flavifrons with EFS probably because parasitoid populations could not accumulate, since A. flavifrons population crashes in the middle of the summer. Parasitism was not random, but selectively removed leafminers with prolonged larval development period. Thus, parasitism is likely to play a significant role in shaping the evolution of life history traits, as well as oviposition preference of A. flavifrons. Despite higher mortality on Sa. officinalis, the density of A. flavifrons in the field was higher in Sa. officinalis than Si. latifolia patches. Sa. officinalis formed denser and seasonally more stable patches than Si. latifolia, suggesting that females searching for oviposition sites may locate Sa. officinalis patches more easily than Si. latifolia patches. Amauromyza flavifrons population as a whole continues to use both Si. latifolia and Sa. officinalis because specialization on either host may be less adaptive. I hypothesized that, although Si. latifolia is a better host for larval survival, females frequently accept Sa. officinalis due to its ease of host location. The pattern of host plant use in A. flavifrons is, therefore, shaped by overall trade-offs in fitness functions driven by multiple ecological forces.en_US
dc.format.extent850734 bytes
dc.format.extent1373 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.format.mimetypetext/plain
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectDiet Breadth Evolutionen_US
dc.titleTritrophic Investigation of the Evolution of Host Plant Use in an Insect Herbivore: A Case Study with a Leafminer (Amauromyza Flavifrons).en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.thesisdegreenamePhDen_US
dc.description.thesisdegreedisciplineEcology and Evolutionary Biologyen_US
dc.description.thesisdegreegrantorUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studiesen_US
dc.contributor.committeememberRathcke, Beverly J.en_US
dc.contributor.committeememberDuda Jr, Thomas F.en_US
dc.contributor.committeememberHunter, Mark D.en_US
dc.contributor.committeememberKnowles, Laura Laceyen_US
dc.subject.hlbsecondlevelEcology and Evolutionary Biologyen_US
dc.subject.hlbtoplevelScienceen_US
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64810/1/uakane_1.pdf
dc.owningcollnameDissertations and Theses (Ph.D. and Master's)


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