The Ecology of Cactoblastis Cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE ECOLOGY OF CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM (BERG) (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) IN FLORIDA By Kristen Erica Sauby A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Mississippi State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biological Sciences in the Department of Biological Sciences Mississippi State, Mississippi August 2009 Copyright by Kristen Erica Sauby 2009 THE ECOLOGY OF CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM (BERG) (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) IN FLORIDA By Kristen Erica Sauby Approved: Christopher P. Brooks Richard L. Brown Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Professor of Entomology (Director of Thesis) (Committee Member) Gary N. Ervin Gary N. Ervin Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Graduate Coordinator of the Department of (Committee Member) Biological Sciences Gary L. Myers Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Name: Kristen Erica Sauby Date of Degree: August 8, 2009 Institution: Mississippi State University Major Field: Biological Sciences Major Professor: Dr. Christopher P. Brooks Title of Study: THE ECOLOGY OF CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM (BERG) (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) IN FLORIDA Pages in Study: 90 Candidate for Degree of Master of Science I used a theoretical model to determine the conditions under which Cactoblastis cactorum populations would be expected to experience positive population growth. Results from simulations suggest that host species richness, host quality, and the C. cactorum death rate interact to determine the probability of C. cactorum positive population growth. I also studied the influence of host diversity empirically. Cactoblastis cactorum prevalence was significantly higher when O. stricta was present in the community. Also, higher species richness within host assemblages led to a higher prevalence of infestation than in single-species host assemblages. Finally, I explored co- occurrence patterns of native cactus-feeding insects in an effort to document the impact of C. cactorum to native insect assemblages. The presence of C. cactorum in a community did not appear to affect the structure of native cactus-feeding insect assemblages. Key Words: amplification effect, biodiversity, Cactoblastis cactorum, Chelinidea vittiger, Dactylopius, host quality, insect herbivore, invasive species, Melitara prodenialis, net reproductive rate, null model, Opuntia, prickly pear cacti, species co-occurrence DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my parents. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Christopher Brooks, for making this project possible by providing ideas, advice, and criticism as well as financial support through his funding from the Mississippi State University Department of Biological Sciences and the Office of Research & Economic Development. I would also like to thank my committee member, Richard Brown, for providing advice and suggestions as well as financial support through a Research Assistantship in the Mississippi Entomological Museum. I would like to thank my committee member, Gary Ervin, for identifying Christopher Brooks as a potential advisor for me in addition to providing advice and suggestions as well as financial support through his grants from the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Discipline (04HQAG0135 and 08HQAG0139). I would also like to thank the Department of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University for financial support in the form of a Teaching Assistantship. I would like to thank Lucas Majure for providing helpful advice and assistance in plant species identification. Keith Bradley of the Institute for Regional Conservation and Julieta Brambila with USDA-APHIS provided locality information for Opuntia and Consolea populations in the Florida Keys. Anastasia Woodard was indispensable by assisting with sampling throughout the summer of 2008. Travis Marsico also helped in sampling, provided helpful advice and comments, and identified unknown moth iii specimens through genetic analysis. JoVonn Hill and Terry Schiefer of the Mississippi Entomological Museum helped in the identification of collected insects. Joe MacGown taught me how to the use the Leica Z16 stereomicroscope, the Leica Application Suite with Montage Module software, and Adobe Photoshop CS4 (which I was able to use through the Mississippi Entomological Museum) to create the photo in Figure 1c. I would be severely remiss if I did not acknowledge Archbold Biological Station, Florida State Forests, Florida State Parks, Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation, Pinellas County Parks and Recreation, National Park Service, Sarasota County Parks and Recreation, St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department, United States Forest Service, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service for access to sites and for allowing the collection of plant and insect material. Without access to these sites this project would not have been possible. Finally, I would like to thank my friends in the Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University, with a specific thanks to Leah Chinchilla, as well as friends in the Bulldawg Cycling Club. I would also like to thank Sreepriya Pramod, who was a supportive friend and who allowed me to use her computer for the null model analyses of Chapter IV. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION.................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I. CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM, A BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT NOW INVASIVE IN NORTH AMERICA..............................................................1 Introduction.................................................................................................................1 Literature Cited...........................................................................................................6 II. THEORETICAL PREDICTIONS OF THE INFLUENCE OF HOST SPECIES RICHNESS AND QUALITY ON THE NET REPRODUCTIVE RATE OF CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM................................................................9 Abstract.......................................................................................................................9 Introduction...............................................................................................................10 Materials And Methods ............................................................................................13 The model of C. cactorum population dynamics...................................................13 Simulation of the Effects of Host Species Richness and Quality on Ro of C. cactorum ......................................................................................14 Results.......................................................................................................................16 Discussion.................................................................................................................18 Caveats...................................................................................................................21 Conclusions............................................................................................................22 Literature Cited.........................................................................................................23 v III. HOST IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY AFFECT THE PREVALENCE OF CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM....................................................................28 Abstract.....................................................................................................................28 Introduction...............................................................................................................29 Materials And Methods ............................................................................................33 Study System .........................................................................................................33 Study Sites and Data Collection ............................................................................35 Statistical Analysis.................................................................................................36 Results.......................................................................................................................38 Discussion.................................................................................................................45 Importance of Species Identity ..............................................................................45 Diversity and Prevalence .......................................................................................47 Alternative Factors Influencing C. cactorum Prevalence......................................48 Consequences of Spillover and the Amplification Effect......................................50 Literature Cited.........................................................................................................52 IV. CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM AND PATTERNS OF NATIVE INSECT SPECIES CO-OCCURRENCE IN FLORIDA ............................................57 Abstract.....................................................................................................................57