INVESTIGADORES
SALVO Silvia Adriana
artículos
Título:
Plant patch structure modifies parasitoid assemblage richness of a specialist herbivore
Autor/es:
FENOGLIO, M. S.; SALVO, A.; VALLADARES, G.; VIDELA, M.
Revista:
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Año: 2010 vol. 35 p. 594 - 601
ISSN:
0307-6946
Resumen:
1. The spatial structure of plant patches has been shown to affecthost?parasitoid interactions, but its influence on parasitoid diversity remains largelyignored. Here we tested the prediction that parasitoid species richness of the specialistleafminer Liriomyza commelinae increases in larger and less isolated patches of itshost plant Commelina erecta. We also explored whether parasitoid abundance andbody size affected the occurrence of parasitoid species in local assemblages.2. A total of 893 naturally established C. erecta patches were sampled on 18 sitesaround C´ordoba city (Argentina). Also, two experiments were performed by creatingpatches differing in the number of plants and the distance from a parasitoid source. Forthese tests, plants were infected with the miner in the laboratory prior to placementin the field.3. Plant patch size, independently of host abundance, positively affected the numberof parasitoid species in both survey observations and experimental data. However,plant patch isolation did not influence parasitoid species richness.4. The probability of finding rare parasitoid species increased with patch size,whereas occupation of isolated patches was independent of dispersal abilities (bodysize) of parasitoid species.5. Overall, the results highlight the importance of considering spatial aspects suchas the size of plant patches in the study of parasitoid communities.