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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons

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Biology Faculty Publications

2018

Invasive species

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

High Phenolic Content Fails To Deter Mesograzer Consumption Of Myriophyllum Spicatum (Eurasian Watermilfoil) In New England, Latina Steele, Courtney Ray, Michele Guidone Dec 2018

High Phenolic Content Fails To Deter Mesograzer Consumption Of Myriophyllum Spicatum (Eurasian Watermilfoil) In New England, Latina Steele, Courtney Ray, Michele Guidone

Biology Faculty Publications

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is often considered one of the most aggressive macrophyte invaders in freshwater habitats throughout the United States. However, conditions leading to successful milfoil invasions are not well understood. This study sought to illuminate the role of 4 herbivores in determining milfoil invasion success via either enemy release or biotic resistance. We determined feeding preferences of three herbivores native to the northeastern United States and measured milfoil phenolic content, which may act as an herbivore feeding deterrent. We found that phenolic content in milfoil was two times higher than in two of the most abundant native macrophytes …


Geographic Variation In Larval Metabolic Rate Between Northern And Southern Populations Of The Invasive Gypsy Moth, Carolyn May, Noah Hillerbrand, Lily M. Thompson, Trevor M. Faske, Eloy Martinez, Dylan Perry, Salvatore J. Agosta, Kristine L. Grayson Jul 2018

Geographic Variation In Larval Metabolic Rate Between Northern And Southern Populations Of The Invasive Gypsy Moth, Carolyn May, Noah Hillerbrand, Lily M. Thompson, Trevor M. Faske, Eloy Martinez, Dylan Perry, Salvatore J. Agosta, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

Thermal regimes can diverge considerably across the geographic range of a species, and accordingly, populations can vary in their response to changing environmental conditions. Both local adaptation and acclimatization are important mechanisms for ectotherms to maintain homeostasis as environments become thermally stressful, which organisms often experience at their geographic range limits. The spatial spread of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) after introduction to North America provides an exemplary system for studying population variation in physiological traits given the gradient of climates encompassed by its current invasive range. This study quantifies differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) across …