Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) response to sulcotrione

Coexistence of three specialist aphids on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca.

Coexistence of host-specific herbivores on plants is believed to be governed by interspecific interactions, but few empirical studies have systematically unraveled these dynamics. We investigated the role of several factors in promoting coexistence among the aphids Aphis nerii, Aphis asclepiadis, and Myzocallis asclepiadis that all specialize on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Competitive ...

Plant-Derived Smoke Enhances Germination of the Invasive Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.)

Reduction in common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) occurrence in Iowa cropland from 1999 to 2009

The role of common milkweed in the lifecycle of the monarch butterfly has increased interest in the presence of this weed in the north central United States. An initial survey conducted in 1999 found that low densities of common milkweed occurred in approximately 50% of Iowa corn and soybean fields. In 2009, common milkweed was present in only 8% of surveyed fields, and the area within infested...

Natural selection on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) by a community of specialized insect herbivores

Hypothesis: Genetic variation in plant defence structures a community of herbivores and ultimately mediates co-evolution. Organisms: Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and five natural insect herbivores (seed bug, leaf mining fly, monarch caterpillar and two beetles). Methods: Quantitative genetic field experiment over 2 years, genetic selection analyses, and measurement of five defensive trai...

Specificity of induced plant responses to specialist herbivores of the common milkweed Asclepias syriaca

Induced plant responses to herbivory appear to be universal, yet the degree to which they are specific to sets of herbivores is poorly understood. The generalist/specialist hypothesis predicts that generalist herbivores are more often negatively affected by host plant defenses, wheras specialists may be either unaffected by or attracted to these same ‘‘plant defenses’’. Therefore, specialists s...