Direct and indirect effects of plant genetic variation on enemy impact

Abstract

Abstract. The Tritrophic and Enemy Impact concepts predict that natural enemy impact varies: (a) among plant genotypes and (b) may depend on the abundance of heterospecific herbivores, respectively. I tested these predictions using three herbivore species on potted, cloned genotypes of Salik sericea Marshall in a common garden experiment. Densities of the leaf miner (Phyllonorycter salicifoliella (Chambers)) and two leaf galling sawflies (Phyllocolpa nigrita (Marlatt) and Phyllocolpa eleanorae Smith and Fritz) varied significantly among willow clones, indicating genetic variation in resistance. Survival and natural enemy impact caused by egg and larval parasitoids and/or unknown predators differed significantly among willow clones for each of the three herbivore species, indicating genetic variation in survival and enemy impact. Survival of Phyllonorycter was negatively density‐dependent among clones. Survival of Phyllonorycter and Phyllocolpa eleanorae were positively correlated with densities of heterospecific herbivores among clones and parasitism of these species were negatively correlated with densities of the same heterospecific herbivores among clones. At least for Phyllonorycter this positive correlation may suggest either facilitation of survival between herbivore species, which do not share natural enemies, or an apparent interaction caused by host plant genetic variation. Among clones, egg parasitism of Phyllocolpa eleanorae was weakly positively correlated with density of Phyllocolpa nigrita. Since these species share the same Trichogramma egg parasitoid, this interaction could support the hypothesis of apparent competition.