Analysis of Plant Trait Data of Host Plants of Lycorma delicatula in the US Suggests Evidence for Ecological Fitting

Plant traits, used by the invasive insect herbivores to find and select suitable hosts, can play an important role in host range expansion. With regard Lycorma delicatula, it is not well explored, however, how plant origin affects selection, whether native introduced plants differ their morphology, lifespan, as environmental requirements for growth. We addressed this issue our study through comprehensive assessment of 25 relevant traits (a total 27,601 records retrieved from TRY database), phylogenetic relationships 37 L. delicatula U.S. Our results showed that only leaf area, chlorophyll content, canopy size were significantly greater hosts than plants. did detect a significant effect on other characteristics. Additionally, no differences between genetic distances Ailanthus altissima (the most preferred host) detected. These results, first time, suggest strong evidence ecological fitting which might drive selection its rapid spread