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ADULT-LARVAL INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION IN AGROMYZA FRONTELLA (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Daniel T. Quiring
Affiliation:
Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1K 7P4
Jeremy N. McNeil
Affiliation:
Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1K 7P4

Abstract

Both adult females and larvae of Agromyza frontella (Rondani) exploit the same food source, alfalfa leaflets. In laboratory studies, larval development in leaflets with many adult nutrition holes resulted in a higher incidence of mortality than in leaflets with low levels of adult feeding. Furthermore, in heavily attacked leaflets, survivors had a slightly longer larval developmental time and lower pupal weights. In heavily attacked alfalfa fields where adult nutrition holes are numerous, the above-mentioned adult–larval interaction could play a density-dependent role in the population dynamics of A. frontella. However, in most situations adult feeding probably has an indirect effect, accentuating intraspecific larval competition by decreasing the quantity of the available limiting resource.

Résumé

Les adultes et les larves d'Agromyza frontella (Rondani) utilisent comme source de nourriture les folioles de la luzerne. Des études de laboratoire ont montré que des larves se développant individuellement dans des folioles contenant plusieurs trous de nutrition produits par les femelles adultes, avaient une incidence de mortalité plus élevée que celles se développant dans des folioles peu attaquées. De plus, chez les survivants provenant de folioles à plusieurs trous de nutrition, la durée du développement larvaire a été légèrement allongée et le poids pupal réduit. Comme sur le terrain, les trous de nutrition peuvent être parfois très élevés, les effets mentionnés ci-haut pourront alors agir directement comme facteurs dépendants de la densité sur la dynamique de population d'A. frontella. Cependant la production des trous de nutrition par les femelles adultes cause le plus souvent une augmentation de la compétition intraspécifique larvaire en réduisant la quantité de nourriture disponible aux larves.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1984

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