Host Plant Selection in Phyllonorycter Species Living on Willows and Their Hybrids (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Abstract

Own knowledge on host plants and on the breadth of the trophic specialization of central European species ofPhyllonorycterHübner, 1822 living onSalixspp. obtained over the past 60 years are presented. A total of 8 species were evaluated and divided into four groups after their trophic relationships; monophagous species:Phyllonorycter quinqueguttella(Stainton, 1851) onSalix repenss. l., andP. viminetorum(Stainton, 1854) onSalix viminalis(here only provisorly due to the small number of reared specimens); narrowly oligophagous species:P. dubitella(Herrich‑Schäffer, 1855) andP. salicicolella(Sircom, 1848), both onSalixspecies of the sectionCapreae; oligophagous species:P. hilarella(Zetterstedt, 1839) andP. salictella(Zeller, 1846) on manySalixspecies, each with different trophic preferences; broadly oligophagous species:Phyllonorycter connexella(Zeller, 1846) andP. pastorella(Zeller, 1846) developing onSalixandPopulusspecies. The hybrids are also used as host plants, and the laying females positively respond to them as well as to the biologicalSalixspecies, if at least one of the parental species is the usual host of the relevantPhyllonorycterspecies. The data on host plants reported by other authors are compared.