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Effects Of Synchrony With Host Plant On Population Of A Spring-Feeding Lepidopteran, Joseph Elkinton, A. F. Hunter

Joseph Elkinton

Comparisons of traits of outbreaking and nonoutbreaking leaf-eating Lepidoptera and Symphyta have shown that spring-feeding species are more likely to have outbreaks than are summer-feeding species. It has been suggested that variable synchrony with host budburst causes the population sizes of spring-feeding species to be more variable primarily because of the negative effects of older leaves on insects. While much evidence exists that leaf age can directly affect survival and reproduction of insects, few studies have looked at the population-level effects of variable phenology, and especially the potential for complex direct and indirect interactions with natural-enemy effects. To examine the …