Leaf trichomes play well-established roles in defense against insect herbivores, both as a physical barrier that impedes herbivore movement and by mediating chemical defenses. However, little work has examined how different trichome types influence herbivory by herbivores at different stages of development. We examined whether caterpillar instar and trichome type (glandular or non-glandular) affected the ability of the specialist herbivore caterpillar Manduca sexta to initiate feeding on 11 Solanaceous species exhibiting variation in the density and type of leaf trichomes. Our results suggest that non-glandular trichomes are far more effective than glandular trichomes in deterring the initiation of feeding by first- and second-instar caterpillars. Meanwhile, neither glandular nor non-glandular trichomes significantly affected the ability of third-instar caterpillars to commence feeding. These findings suggest that while non-glandular trichomes deter feeding initiation by early instar caterpillars, the contribution of both trichomes on later instars may depend on effects after feeding initiation.

The spines of flowering plants are thought to function primarily in defence against mammalian herbivores; however, we previously reported that feeding by caterpillars on the leaves of horsenettle plants () induces increased development of internode spines on new growth. To determine whether and how spines impact caterpillar feeding, we conducted assays with three plant species that vary in spine numbers (, and) and also manipulated spine numbers within each species. We found that caterpillars located experimentally isolated target leaves much more quickly on plants with experimentally removed spines compared with plants with intact spines. Moreover, it took caterpillars longer to defoliate species with relatively high spine numbers ( and particularly ) compared with, which has fewer spines These findings suggest that spines may play a significant role in defence against insect herbivores by restricting herbivore movement and increasing the time taken to access feeding sites, with possible consequences including longer developmental periods and increased vulnerability or apparency to predators.

Restoration is accelerating to reverse global declines of key habitats and recover lost ecosystem functions, particularly in coastal ecosystems. However, there is high uncertainty about the long‐term capacity of restored ecosystems to provide habitat and increase biodiversity, and the degree to which these ecosystem services are mediated by spatial and temporal environmental variability. We addressed these gaps by sampling fishes biannually for 5–7 years (2012–2018) at 16 sites inside and outside of a rapidly‐expanding restored seagrass meadow in coastal Virginia, USA. Despite substantial among‐year variation in abundance and species composition, seine catches in restored seagrass beds were consistently more numerous (6.4× more fish, P < 0.001) and speciose (2.6× greater species richness, P < 0.001; 3.1× greater Hill‐Shannon diversity, P = 0.03) than adjacent unvegetated areas, with larger catches particularly during summer (vs. autumn, P < 0.01). Structural equation modeling revealed that depth and water residence time interacted to control seagrass presence, leading to higher fish abundance and richness in shallow, well‐flushed areas that supported seagrass. Together, our results indicate that seagrass restoration yields large and consistent benefits for many coastal fishes, but that restoration and its benefits are sensitive to the dynamic seascapes within which it is established. Consideration of how seascape‐scale environmental variability impacts both the success of habitat restoration as well as subsequent ecosystem function will improve restoration outcomes and the provisioning of ecosystem services.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved