Feeding by seed bugs and weevils enhances germination of wild Gossypium species

Karban, Richard; Lowenberg, Gregory J.

doi:10.1007/bf00317364

Cited by 35 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Previous studies have found both positive and negative effects of herbivory on seed set, seed mass, and seedling viability (Crawley and Nachapong, ; Weiner et al., ; Agrawal, ; Moreira et al., ). Additionally, there is some evidence that herbivore damage to a parent plant can result in increased seed germination and seedling emergence (Karban and Lowenberg, ; Moreira et al., ; Alba et al., ). We also found that inbred maternal plants produced fewer total seeds than outbred plants, and that maternal plant inbreeding negatively affected the timing and total proportion of seedling emergence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transgenerational impacts of herbivory and inbreeding on reproductive output in Solanum carolinense

Nihranz

Walker

Brown

et al. 2020

American J of Botany

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Premise Plant maternal effects on offspring phenotypes are well documented. However, little is known about how herbivory on maternal plants affects offspring fitness. Furthermore, while inbreeding is known to reduce plant reproductive output, previous studies have not explored whether and how such effects may extend across generations. Here, we addressed the transgenerational consequences of herbivory and maternal plant inbreeding on the reproduction of Solanum carolinense offspring. Methods Manduca sexta caterpillars were used to inflict weekly damage on inbred and outbred S. carolinense maternal plants. Cross‐pollinations were performed by hand to produce seed from herbivore‐damaged outbred plants, herbivore‐damaged inbred plants, undamaged outbred plants, and undamaged inbred plants. The resulting seeds were grown in the greenhouse to assess emergence rate and flower production in the absence of herbivores. We also grew offspring in the field to examine reproductive output under natural conditions. Results We found transgenerational effects of herbivory and maternal plant inbreeding on seedling emergence and reproductive output. Offspring of herbivore‐damaged plants had greater emergence, flowered earlier, and produced more flowers and seeds than offspring of undamaged plants. Offspring of outbred maternal plants also had greater seedling emergence and reproductive output than offspring of inbred maternal plants, even though all offspring were outbred. Moreover, the effects of maternal plant inbreeding were more severe when plant offspring were grown in field conditions. Conclusions This study demonstrates that both herbivory and inbreeding have fitness consequences that extend across generations even in outbred progeny.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transgenerational impacts of herbivory and inbreeding on reproductive output in Solanum carolinense

Nihranz

Walker

Brown

et al. 2020

American J of Botany

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“…However, such long-term seed dormancy entails fitness costs, and germination during a suitable season is not guaranteed. In contrast, some seed-feeding insects break the dormancy of these hard seeds immediately by boring a hole in the seed coat (Karban and Lowenberg 1992;Ollerton and Lack 1996;Baskin and Baskin 1998;Koptur 1998;Takakura 2002). The evolution of a hard seed coat may have resulted from the antagonistic arms races between plants and seed feeders; nevertheless, at the population level, the interactions between the plant bearing hard seeds and seed feeders can be considered mutualistic (Takakura 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Parasitoid attack of the seed-feeding beetle Bruchus loti enhances the germination success of Lathyrus japonicus seeds

Kondo

Akimoto

2011

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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Hard seeds of some legume species can germinate after seed-feeding insects bore through the seed coat and consequently break seed dormancy. Larvae of bruchine beetles are the main seed feeders attacking many legume species. Boring of the hard seed coat by bruchine beetle larvae enhances the germination percentage of legume species, but consuming too much of a single seed may reduce the chances the seed will survive. We hypothesise that the early mortality of bruchine larvae due to parasitism contributes positively to seed germination because larvae are killed before consuming too large a quantity of the seed. Here, we tested this hypothesis using Lathyrus japonicus seeds and Bruchus loti, the main seed feeder attacking this plant. B. loti larvae were mainly parasitised by two species of idiobiont parasitoidsPteromalus sp. and Dinarmus sp. The seeds from which Pteromalus wasps emerged germinated more successfully than did the seeds from which B. loti adults emerged. B. loti larvae parasitised by the two wasp species consumed the seeds less intensively than did unparasitised larvae. Thus, the results of experiments supported our hypothesis. However, the germination success varied significantly between the seeds from which Pteromalus and Dinarmus wasps emerged. The difference in the size of seeds the two wasp species chose for parasitism may have influenced the germination percentage.

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“…Boll weevil larvae and a seed bug (Sphyrocoris punctellus Stal. Scutelleridae) consume developing seeds (Karban and Lowenberg 1992).…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enemies of Herbivores Can Shape Plant Traits: Selection in a Facultative Ant–plant Mutualism

Rudgers

2004

Ecology

135

149

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Predators and parasitoids of herbivores can play important roles in plant defense. Plant traits that attract the enemies of herbivores are presumed to have co‐evolved with these enemies in obligate relationships such as ant–Acacia mutualisms. In facultative interactions, selection via herbivores' enemies also may shape plant traits, although no study has yet demonstrated all of the necessary criteria to document selection in a single tri‐trophic system. Using manipulative experiments during a two‐year study, I showed that predatory ants can act as agents of selection on extrafloral nectary (EFN) traits. Wild cotton (Gossypium thurberi) EFNs attract a number of generalist ant species that consume and disturb herbivores. Sire–offspring regression analyses demonstrated that both the proportion of leaves with EFNs and EFN size exhibit heritable variation in G. thurberi. A two‐year insecticide experiment revealed that herbivory reduced plant growth and seed production in the field, independently of the effects of ants. Both ant abundance and EFN availability were manipulated in the field using a 2 × 2 factorial design. When ant visitation was reduced, plants supported more herbivores, experienced greater leaf damage, and produced fewer flowers and seeds. Furthermore, fewer ants visited plants with experimentally reduced EFNs; leaf damage was higher and seed number was lower compared to plants with ambient levels of EFN, indicating that EFNs mediate the benefits of ants. In addition, natural variation in EFN frequency correlated positively with seed production. This study provides the strongest support yet that casual ant associates can influence the evolution of extrafloral nectary traits and suggests that plant evolution in facultative mutualisms depends on community‐level dynamics.

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Feeding by seed bugs and weevils enhances germination of wild Gossypium species

Cited by 35 publications

References 10 publications

Transgenerational impacts of herbivory and inbreeding on reproductive output in Solanum carolinense

Transgenerational impacts of herbivory and inbreeding on reproductive output in Solanum carolinense

Parasitoid attack of the seed-feeding beetle Bruchus loti enhances the germination success of Lathyrus japonicus seeds

Enemies of Herbivores Can Shape Plant Traits: Selection in a Facultative Ant–plant Mutualism

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