Responses of the Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia Catalpae, and Its Primary Parasitoid, Cotesia Congregata, to Varying Levels of Iridoid Glycosides in Catalpa
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Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2015 RESPONSES OF THE CATALPA SPHINX, CERATOMIA CATALPAE, AND ITS PRIMARY PARASITOID, COTESIA CONGREGATA, TO VARYING LEVELS OF IRIDOID GLYCOSIDES IN CATALPA Jessica L. Bray Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Behavior and Ethology Commons, and the Entomology Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3770 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Jessica Bray, April 2015 All Rights Reserved RESPONSES OF THE CATALPA SPHINX, CERATOMIA CATALPAE, AND ITS PRIMARY PARASITOID, COTESIA CONGREGATA, TO VARYING LEVELS OF IRIDOID GLYCOSIDES IN CATALPA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. by JESSICA L. BRAY B.S., Longwood University, 2012 Major Professor: KAREN M. KESTER, PH.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia April, 2015 Acknowledgments I thank my advisor, Dr. Karen Kester, for her guidance and mentorship on this project. I also thank my fellow graduate students, Justin Bredlau and Megan Ayers, for their help and moral support throughout graduate school. During my time at VCU, they have become very close friends. I also thank my fellow labmate, Kanchan Joshi, who took care of the hyperparasitoid colonies while I was away at conferences and the many Bug lab interns, especially LeAynne Miller and Kathleen Lau, who helped rear caterpillars to maintain the wasp colonies. Thanks, too, to VCU independent study student Andrew Wood for collecting the 2011 oviposition data, Mr. and Mrs. Buster Tyson for allowing me to collect catalpa leaves and catalpa sphinx caterpillars on their property, and the “Bowers laboratory” for analyzing leaf samples. Finally, I thank Dr. M. Deane Bowers, as well as the rest of my committee members, Dr. Michael Fine, Dr. Salvatore Agosta, and Dr. Edward Boone, for their advice and feedback on my project. i Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. i Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... iii Abstract………. ................................................................................................................. iv Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Materials and Methods .........................................................................................................6 Results ................................................................................................................................13 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................16 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................19 Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................20 Tables and Figures .............................................................................................................25 Vita .....................................................................................................................................35 ii List of Tables Page Table 1: Species characteristics of catalpa trees of interest ...............................................25 Table 2: Results of a two- way ANOVA comparing searching times of wild and colony wasps ................................................................................................26 List of Figures Page Figure 1: Feeding preference assay design ........................................................................27 Figure 2: Percent dry weight total iridoid glycosides, catalpol and catalposide in catalpa trees of interest ....................................................................................................28 Figure 3: Comparison of percent defoliation to percent dry weight total iridoid glycosides, catalpol and catalposide ...................................................................30 Figure 4: Comparison of moth oviposition preference to high and low iridoid glycoside trees .........................................................................................32 Figure 5: Comparison of caterpillar feeding preferences to high and low iridoid glycoside leaf discs .................................................................................33 Figure 6: Comparison of wasp searching responses to high and low iridoid glycoside leaf discs .................................................................................34 iii Abstract RESPONSES OF THE CATALPA SPHINX, CERATOMIA CATALPAE, AND ITS PRIMARY PARASITOID, COTESIA CONGREGATA, TO VARYING LEVELS OF IRIDOID GLYCOSIDES IN CATALPA By Jessica L. Bray A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Director: Karen M. Kester, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biology The catalpa sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae, is a specialist on Catalpa trees, which produce iridoid glycosides (IGs). Whereas some trees are defoliated every year, others escape herbivory. Caterpillar populations are either heavily parasitized by the braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata, or remain unparasitized. We hypothesized that these patterns could be explained by variable IG concentrations among trees and insect responses to these chemicals. IG concentrations varied among trees. Percent defoliation was positively iv related to IG concentration. In comparisons of insect responses to relatively high or low IG concentrations, moths preferred to oviposit on trees with high IG concentrations. Caterpillars did not display a feeding preference nor did wasps differ in searching responses to leaf discs with high or low IG concentrations. Results indicate that observed patterns of herbivory can be explained by moth oviposition preferences for trees with high IG concentrations. v INTRODUCTION Plant secondary metabolites function as feeding and oviposition stimulants or deterrents for many phytophagous insects. Insect species vary greatly in their degree of host specialization and in their ovipositional and feeding responses to plants. Whereas generalists may accept a variety of plants as hosts, specialists typically require specific cues from secondary metabolites in order to accept a plant as a host (Bernays & Chapman 1994). For example, Pieris brassicae L. (Pieridae) butterflies respond to glucosinolates produced by crucifers as oviposition stimulants (van Loon et al. 1992, Chew & Renwick, 1995). Some specialists sequester secondary metabolites as a defense against their natural enemies (Dyer & Gentry 1999, Dicke 2000). Levels of secondary metabolites can vary within individuals and both within and among populations of hostplants, and the absence or low levels of these plant cues may cause an insect to overlook an acceptable hostplant (van der Meijden 1996). This variation in plant chemistry can be affected by genetics (Berenbaum et al. 1986, Mihaliak et al. 1989) as well as environmental factors (Mihaliak et al. 1989). For example, in wild parsnip Pastinaca sativa L. (Apiaceae) variation in plant defenses to its primary herbivore, Depressaria pastinacella (Duponchel) (Elachistidae) is partially genetically controlled (Berenbaum et al. 1986). Likewise, iridoid glycoside concentrations in Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae) vary within and among populations (Bowers & Stamp 1992, Bowers et al. 1992), partially determined by genotypic differences (Bowers & Stamp 1992, 1993, Adler et al. 1995, Reudler Talsma et al. 2008). Iridoid glycosides (IGs) are a group of secondary metabolites common in over fifty different plant families (Bobbitt & Segebarth 1969, El- Naggar & Beal 1980, Bowers & Puttick 1986). Some lepidopterans are specialists on plants that produce iridoid glycosides (Bowers & 1 Puttick 1986, Optiz & Müller 2009). Specialist butterflies that are attracted to plants containing these compounds often prefer to oviposit on plants with higher concentrations of iridoid glycosides. For example, the Glanville fritillary, Melitaea cinxia L. (Nymphalidae), and the buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia Hübner (Nymphalidae), both prefer to oviposit on P. lanceolata with high concentrations of iridoid glycosides (Nieminen et al. 2003, Pereyra & Bowers 1988). Larvae of these species sequester iridoid glycosides as a defense against their natural enemies and therefore, sequestration may provide offspring with a higher chance of survival (Bowers & Stamp 1992). The relative unpalatability