The Life History Traits of the Arctiine Moth<i>Pareuchaetes insulata</i>, a Biological Control Agent of<i>Chromolaena odorata</i>in South Africa

Uyi, Osariyekemwen; Zachariades, C.; Hill, Martin

doi:10.4001/003.022.0322

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…The findings of this study further suggest that adults that fed on full-sun or shaded foliage as larvae would perform equally in terms of reproduction potential. Similar to the findings of Uyi et al 40 who investigated aspects of the biology of a related species ( P. insulata [Walker]), total leaf consumption by P. pseudoinsulata on either foliage type was shown to be positively correlated with female pupal mass and number of eggs laid by females. Food quality/quantity is considered a good determinant of fecundity in herbivorous insects 41 —especially in capital breeders (i.e.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 81%

Light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata

Uyi

2020

Sci Rep

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Unravelling the responses of insect herbivores to light-environment-mediated variation in the traits of their host plants is central to our understanding of the nutritional ecology of, and factors driving the population dynamics in, these species. This study examined the effect of light environment (shaded vs full-sun habitat) on leaf toughness and leaf nutritional quality in Chromolaena odorata (an invasive species in West Africa) and related these attributes to the abundance, herbivory patterns and reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata (a biological control agent). In this system, plants growing in shaded areas in the field experienced more herbivory and had higher herbivore abundance than those growing in full-sun. In the laboratory, P. pseudoinsulata larvae consumed significantly greater amounts of shaded foliage relative to full-sun foliage. However, reproductive performance metrics such as mating success, pre-oviposition period, number of eggs laid, duration of egg laying, egg hatchability, and adult longevity in P. pseudoinsulata did not differ according to foliage types. Reduced leaf toughness, increased water and nitrogen contents in shaded leaves coincided with increased leaf consumption by the larvae of P. pseudoinsulata. In summary, this study showed for the first time that light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of P. pseudoinsulata and hypothesized that high foliar nitrogen and water contents in shaded leaves resulted in feedback and necessity consumption patterns.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 81%

Light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata

Uyi

2020

Sci Rep

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“…Pupal mass and development time are the most frequently used indicators that show how insects respond to their host’s nutritional quality and perhaps may predict changes to other important aspects of insect biology such as survival, behaviour, physiology and fecundity [ 49 , 50 ]. A reduction in larval or pupal weight is generally known to affect future reproductive success by reducing adult body size, and possibly fecundity [ 34 , 51 ]. Prolonging development time negatively affects the survival of immature stages (in a field situation) by exposing them to possible predation, parasitism, or unfavourable environmental conditions for a longer period [ 49 , 52 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…odorata . The biology of this golden yellow moth is documented in Kluge and Caldwell [ 33 ] and Uyi et al [ 34 ]. Following the release of over 1.9 million individuals of different life stages of P .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental and reproductive performance of a specialist herbivore depend on seasonality of, and light conditions experienced by, the host plant

et al. 2018

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Host plant phenology (as influenced by seasonality) and light-mediated changes in the phenotypic and phytochemical properties of leaves have been hypothesised to equivocally influence insect herbivore performance. Here, we examined the effects of seasonality, through host plant phenology (late growth-season = autumn vs flowering-season = winter) and light environment (shade vs full-sun habitat) on the leaf characteristics of the invasive alien plant, Chromolaena odorata. In addition, the performance of a specialist folivore, Pareuchaetes insulata, feeding on leaves obtained from both shaded and full-sun habitats during autumn and winter, was evaluated over two generations. Foliar nitrogen and magnesium contents were generally higher in shaded plants with much higher levels during winter. Leaf water content was higher in shaded and in autumn plants. Total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) and phosphorus contents did not differ as a function of season, but were higher in shaded foliage compared to full-sun leaves. Leaf toughness was noticeably higher on plants growing in full-sun during winter. With the exception of shaded leaves in autumn that supported the best performance [fastest development, heaviest pupal mass, and highest growth rate and Host Suitability Index (HSI) score], full-sun foliage in autumn surprisingly also supported an improved performance of the moth compared to shaded or full-sun leaves in winter. Our findings suggest that shaded and autumn foliage are nutritionally more suitable for the growth and reproduction of P. insulata. However, the heavier pupal mass, increased number of eggs and higher HSI score in individuals that fed on full-sun foliage in autumn compared to their counterparts that fed on shaded or full-sun foliage in winter suggest that full-sun foliage during autumn is also a suitable food source for larvae of the moth. In sum, our study demonstrates that seasonal and light-modulated changes in leaf characteristics can affect insect folivore performance in ways that are not linear.

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“…The female adult lays its eggs in batches on the underside of the leaves of C. odorata. The eggs hatch after ±4.8 days at 25°C (Uyi et al ., 2014 b ). At 25°C in the laboratory, the early instars (1st, 2nd, and 3rd instars) feed during day and night by scraping the epidermal layer of C. odorata leaves.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Late 5th and 6th instars of P. insulata migrate down the base of the C. odorata plants and pupate in a flimsy cocoon in the leaf litter. Development time from larva to adult (at 25°C) usually ranges from 26 to 42 days depending on food quality (Uyi et al ., 2014 b , 2015).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced mobility but high survival: thermal tolerance and locomotor response of the specialist herbivore, Pareuchaetes insulata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), to low temperatures

Uyi

Zachariades

Marais

et al. 2016

Bull. Entomol. Res.

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Disentangling the responses of insects to variations in their thermal environment is central to our understanding of the evolution of temperature-dependent performance in these species. Here, we report results of experiments examining the effects of high (upper lethal temperature = ULT) and low (lower lethal temperature = LLT) temperature and exposure time on the survival of larvae and adults of a multivoltine, nocturnal moth species, Pareuchaetes insulata, a biological control agent whose impact on an invasive weed, Chromolaena odorata has been variable in South Africa. The influence of temperature and acclimation on locomotion performance of the moth was also investigated. Temperature and duration of exposure significantly affected survival of both adults and larvae of P. insulata with more extreme temperatures and/or longer durations proving to be more lethal. Third instar larvae and adults are both freeze intolerant and had LT50 of -5.9 and -4.7°C, respectively, after a 2 h exposure. Although cold acclimation was beneficial to the nocturnal larvae, temperatures below 10°C significantly reduce their locomotion activities. The average daily minimum temperatures in the coldest months at three locations in South Africa are over 5°C lower than those of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, where P. insulata was originally collected. Our results suggest that lethal high or low temperatures at short timescales are trivial in explaining the variable performance of P. insulata, but reduced locomotion at sub-lethal temperatures may be an important driver of the population dynamics of the biocontrol agent (especially in winter months) and may consequently explain the low population levels of the moth because of possible reduced feeding by larvae during night-time low temperatures.

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The Life History Traits of the Arctiine MothPareuchaetes insulata, a Biological Control Agent ofChromolaena odoratain South Africa

Cited by 12 publications

References 54 publications

Light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata

Light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata

Developmental and reproductive performance of a specialist herbivore depend on seasonality of, and light conditions experienced by, the host plant

Reduced mobility but high survival: thermal tolerance and locomotor response of the specialist herbivore, Pareuchaetes insulata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), to low temperatures

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