| unnecessary roughness? testing the hypothesis that predators destined for molecular gut-content analysis must be hand-collected to avoid cross-contamination. | molecular gut-content analysis enables detection of arthropod predation with minimal disruption of ecosystem processes. mass-collection methods, such as sweep-netting, vacuum sampling and foliage beating, could lead to regurgitation or rupturing of predators along with uneaten prey, thereby contaminating specimens and compromising resultant gut-content data. proponents of this 'cross-contamination hypothesis' advocate hand-collection as the best way to avoid cross-contamination. however, hand-co ... | 2011 | 21429135 |
| prey preference and host suitability of the predatory and parasitoid carabid beetle, lebia grandis, for several species of leptinotarsa beetles. | lebia grandis (coleoptera: carabidae), recorded as a parasitoid only on colorado potato beetle, leptinotarsa decemlineata (coleoptera: chrysomelidae), is capable of parasitizing the false potato beetle, l. juncta, and also l. haldemani. historical records show that l. decemlineata, while the only recorded host, was not present in much of the original range of l. grandis, and may not have been its host prior to its expansion into eastern north america, where l. juncta is endemic. our laboratory c ... | 2006 | 19537994 |
| removing external dna contamination from arthropod predators destined for molecular gut-content analysis. | ecological research requires large samples for statistical validity, typically hundreds or thousands of individuals, which are most efficiently gathered by mass-collecting techniques. for the study of interspecific interactions, molecular gut-content analysis enables detection of arthropod predation with minimal disruption of community interactions. field experiments have demonstrated that standard mass-collection methods, such as sweep netting, vacuum sampling and foliage beating, sometimes lea ... | 2012 | 22268594 |
| herbivore oral secreted bacteria trigger distinct defense responses in preferred and non-preferred host plants. | insect symbiotic bacteria affect host physiology and mediate plant-insect interactions, yet there are few clear examples of symbiotic bacteria regulating defense responses in different host plants. we hypothesized that plants would induce distinct defense responses to herbivore- associated bacteria. we evaluated whether preferred hosts (horsenettle) or non-preferred hosts (tomato) respond similarly to oral secretions (os) from the false potato beetle (fpb, leptinotarsa juncta), and whether the i ... | 2016 | 27294415 |
| impact of two specialist insect herbivores on reproduction of horse nettle, solanum carolinense. | the frequency of coevolution as a process of strong mutual interaction between a single plant and herbivore species has been questioned in light of more commonly observed, complex relationships between a plant and a suite of herbivore species. despite recognition of the possibility of diffuse coevolution, relatively few studies have examined ecological responses of plants to herbivores in complex associations. we studied the impact of two specialist herbivores, the horse nettle beetle, leptinota ... | 1996 | 28307846 |