Can alien plants support generalist insect herbivores?
| Authors: | Douglas Tallamy, Meg Ballard, Vincent D'Amico |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Type: | Other |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| Source: | In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. Proceedings. 20th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2009; 2009 January 13-16; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-51. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 101. |
Abstract
Rearing experiments were conducted to address two questions relevant to understanding how generalist lepidopteran herbivores interact with alien plants. We reared 10 yellow-striped armyworms (Spodoptera ornithogalli), luna moths (Actias luna), bagworms, (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis), and white-marked tussock moths (Orgyia leucostigma) from egg to 5th instar on the excised foliage of a variety of alien and native plant species in the laboratory, to determine the degree to which highly polyphagous lepidopteran herbivores are capable of surviving on the suite of alien plants naturalized near Delaware.
Parent Publication
- Proceedings. 20th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2009