TY - JOUR
T1 - Tri-trophic effects of inter- and intra-population variation in defence chemistry of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
AU - Harvey, J.A.
AU - Van Dam, N.M.
AU - Raiijmakers, C.E.
AU - Bullock, J.M.
AU - Gols, R.
N1 - Reporting year: 2011
Metis note: 4967; WAG; TE
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The effect of direct chemical defences in plants
on the performance of insect herbivores and their natural
enemies has received increasing attention over the past
10 years. However, much less is known about the scale at
which this variation is generated and maintained, both
within and across populations of the same plant species.
This study compares growth and development of the large
cabbage butterfy, Pieris brassicae, and its gregarious pupal
parasitoid, Pteromalus puparum, on three wild populations
[Kimmeridge (KIM), Old Harry (OH) and Winspit (WIN)]
and two cultivars [Stonehead (ST), and Cyrus (CYR)] of
cabbage, Brassica oleracea. The wild populations originate
from the coast of Dorset, UK, but grow in close proximity
with one another. Insect performance and chemical profiles
were made from every plant used in the experiment. Foliar
glucosinolates (GS) concentrations were highest in the wild
plants in rank order WIN > OH > KIM, with lower levels
found in the cultivars. Caterpillar-damaged leaves in the
wild cabbages also had higher GS levels than undamaged
leaves. Pupal mass in P. brassicae varied signficantly
among populations of B. oleracea. Moreover, development
time in the host and parasitoid were correlated, even though
these stages are temporally separated. Parasitoid adult dry
mass closely approximated the development of its host.
Multivariate statistics revealed a correlation between pupal
mass and development time of P. brassicae and foliar GS
chemistry, of which levels of neoglucobrassicin appeared to
be the most important. Our results show that there is considerable
variation in quantitative aspects of defensive
chemistry in wild cabbage plants that is maintained at very
small spatial scales in nature. Moreover, the performance of
the herbivore and its parasitoid were both affected by differences
in plant quality.
AB - The effect of direct chemical defences in plants
on the performance of insect herbivores and their natural
enemies has received increasing attention over the past
10 years. However, much less is known about the scale at
which this variation is generated and maintained, both
within and across populations of the same plant species.
This study compares growth and development of the large
cabbage butterfy, Pieris brassicae, and its gregarious pupal
parasitoid, Pteromalus puparum, on three wild populations
[Kimmeridge (KIM), Old Harry (OH) and Winspit (WIN)]
and two cultivars [Stonehead (ST), and Cyrus (CYR)] of
cabbage, Brassica oleracea. The wild populations originate
from the coast of Dorset, UK, but grow in close proximity
with one another. Insect performance and chemical profiles
were made from every plant used in the experiment. Foliar
glucosinolates (GS) concentrations were highest in the wild
plants in rank order WIN > OH > KIM, with lower levels
found in the cultivars. Caterpillar-damaged leaves in the
wild cabbages also had higher GS levels than undamaged
leaves. Pupal mass in P. brassicae varied signficantly
among populations of B. oleracea. Moreover, development
time in the host and parasitoid were correlated, even though
these stages are temporally separated. Parasitoid adult dry
mass closely approximated the development of its host.
Multivariate statistics revealed a correlation between pupal
mass and development time of P. brassicae and foliar GS
chemistry, of which levels of neoglucobrassicin appeared to
be the most important. Our results show that there is considerable
variation in quantitative aspects of defensive
chemistry in wild cabbage plants that is maintained at very
small spatial scales in nature. Moreover, the performance of
the herbivore and its parasitoid were both affected by differences
in plant quality.
U2 - 10.1007/s00442-010-1861-4
DO - 10.1007/s00442-010-1861-4
M3 - Article
SN - 0029-8549
VL - 166
SP - 421
EP - 431
JO - Oecologia
JF - Oecologia
IS - 2
ER -