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Plant Finding Behavior of Phytophagous Insects and Biological Control of Aquatic Plants

Reeves, Justin
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1285168402

Abstract Details

2010, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences.
Because many aspects of aquatic and wetland plant biological control are still poorly understood, this dissertation covered work at many scales. At the scale of the field of aquatic and wetland plant biological control as a whole, meta-analysis of three decades of data showed that biological control of these plants has been generally successful, but also that experimental design may influence study results. Similarly, at a relatively smaller scale, experimental design may confound one’s ability to judge control efficacy using the milfoil weevil (Euhrychiopsis lecontei Dietz) to control Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.). In this system, the amount of time between surveys influenced final plant densities, especially when data were collected after mid-August when plants may be senescing. At an even smaller scale still, biological control agent behavior may influence plant control efficacy. To examine this, behavioral studies were performed on E. lecontei to better understand plant finding behavior. Understanding plant finding by E. lecontei should be directly related to understanding control efficacy, as the weevils overwinter on land and must find plants in lakes each spring. Consequently, weevils cannot control plants over multiple seasons if they cannot find them. Vision was shown to be very important to E. lecontei, even to the point that they may be able to visually differentiate plant species to select the proper host (M. spicatum). These behavioral data, along with other literature, were used to build a conceptual model for plant finding by E. lecontei that may also be extended to aquatic phytophagous insects in general. Finally, based on the work performed on visual cue use by E. lecontei and the last few decades of phytophagous insect visual ecology literature, many historical assumptions about vision being unimportant to phytophagous insects were discussed and refuted.
Patrick Lorch, PhD (Advisor)
Kershner Mark, PhD (Committee Member)
de Szalay Ferenc, PhD (Committee Member)
Norconk Marilyn, PhD (Committee Member)
180 p.
Biology; Ecology; Entomology
Weevil; PLANT; lecontei; host-plant; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL; INSECTS; PHYTOPHAGOUS

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Reeves, J. (2010). Plant Finding Behavior of Phytophagous Insects and Biological Control of Aquatic Plants [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1285168402

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Reeves, Justin. Plant Finding Behavior of Phytophagous Insects and Biological Control of Aquatic Plants. 2010. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1285168402.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Reeves, Justin. "Plant Finding Behavior of Phytophagous Insects and Biological Control of Aquatic Plants." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1285168402

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1285168402
834
© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.