The suitability of leaves from different canopy layers for a generalist herbivore (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) foraging on sugar maple

Abstract

Variations of leaf suitability within forest canopies may have important consequences for the biology of phytophagous insects. In this study we examined over 4 consecutive years (1994–1997), the influence of vertical stratification of leaves within a sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) stand on biological performance and feeding preference of Malacosoma disstria Hbn. Each year, 10 healthy sugar maple trees and about 15 understory sugar maple seedlings were selected. Leaves were collected from the lower (3–6 m above ground) and the upper crown (20–25 m above ground) sections of the trees and from seedlings. Sampled leaves were set in Petri dishes for insect rearings in controlled environment. The performance of the insect, especially pupal masses and the number of eggs of adult females, was higher when larvae were fed with leaves from the upper crown section of trees. Results for the feeding preference tests showed that larvae of fourth instars consumed more surface area from leaves collected in the upper crown section of the trees. More total nitrogen found in leaves from the upper tree crown could explain the higher performance of this insect. Our results confirm the importance of the heterogeneity in leaf suitability along a vertical stratification in forests by its influence on biological performance and feeding preference of M. disstria.