Abstract
Gypsy moths and powdery mildew play a significant role in oak decline processes. However, information is lacking on the effects on the gypsy moth of impaired tree vitality caused by defoliation or parasite infection. We assessed how pedunculate oak leaves collected from vigorous, declining, and infected trees influenced gypsy moth preference and performance (growth and nutritional indices). We found a negative effect of powdery mildew-infected leaves on gypsy moth performance, while declining trees had positive effects on gypsy moth performance and preference. All examined parameters of larvae fed declining oak leaves were higher than those of larvae fed vigorous oak leaves. Increased growth on declining oak leaves was caused by both higher consumption and more efficient food utilization. The results of this research could help us to better understand multitrophic interactions in complex communities such as oak forests.
Highlights
The gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. is one of the most serious pests of hardwood forests in temperate regions (Montgomery and Wallner, 1988)
Leaf area consumed by second instar larvae was 15% to 38% higher in the group that was fed declining leaves than the group fed vigorous leaves
We found significant host plant effects on growth in both analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) where food consumption was used as the covariate (ECI)
Summary
The gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. is one of the most serious pests of hardwood forests in temperate regions (Montgomery and Wallner, 1988). This pest causes enormous damage from the defoliation of large areas that occurs after its frequent outbreaks (Muzika and Liebhold, 1999; 2001; Naiddoo and Lechowicz, 2001; Fajvan et al, 2008). It feeds on 500 plant species (Lance, 1983), but the species of the genus Quercus are the most suitable hosts (Janković, 1958; Barbosa and Krischik, 1987). In Serbia, the gypsy moth can be found in all areas, even up to 1600 m above sea level, above 1000 m it is not considered to be a significant pest
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