Colonising aliens: caterpillars (Lepidoptera) feeding on Piper aduncum and P-umbellatum in rainforests of Papua New Guinea

0136090 - ENTU-I 20033116 RIV GB eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Novotný, Vojtěch - Miller, S. E. - Čížek, Lukáš - Lepš, Jan - Janda, Milan - Basset, Y. - Weiblen, G. D. - Darrow, K.
Colonising aliens: caterpillars (Lepidoptera) feeding on Piper aduncum and P-umbellatum in rainforests of Papua New Guinea.
Ecological Entomology. Roč. 28, - (2003), s. 704-716. ISSN 0307-6946. E-ISSN 1365-2311
Grant CEP: GA AV ČR IAA6007106; GA MŠMT ME 041; GA ČR GA206/99/1112
Výzkumný záměr: CEZ:AV0Z5007907
Klíčová slova: enemy-free space * escape from natural enemies * herbivory
Kód oboru RIV: EH - Ekologie - společenstva
Impakt faktor: 1.423, rok: 2003

Caterpillar assemblages feeding on two alien plants, Piper aduncum and P. umbellatum, were studied in lowland rainforest in Papua New Guinea and compared with assemblages from 69 species of native woody hosts, including congeneric P. macropiper. Species richness of caterpillars feeding on P. aduncum (29 species per 1500 m(2) of foliage) and P. umbellatum (36 species) was higher than the median richness for the 69 native hosts (23 species). The probability that a caterpillar species colonised alien Piper increased with its host range from 3% for the species feeding on a single plant family to 92% for the species with host range >10 plant families. The assemblage on P. aduncum was dominated by a single species (Herpetogramma sp. near licarsisalis, Crambidae), which represented 48% duals, and also had a high proportion (34%) of rare species, collected as single individuals. This community structure was indistinguishable from that of a typical native host. In contrast, the P. umbellatum assemblage was unusual as no species represented 10% of individuals. The aggressive invasion by P. aduncum of early successional vegetation is not explained by a competitive advantage due to low herbivore load, as the abundance of caterpillars feeding on it was comparable to that of native pioneer plants. The caterpillar assemblage on P. aduncum demonstrated that an assemblage indistinguishable from native assemblages in density, species richness, and dominance structure (but not in host specificity) can originate from the existing species pool in lowland rainforests on a recently established tree species in <50 years.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0033851