Rapid adaptation of insect herbivores to an invasive plant.

Herbivores mediate different competitive and facilitative responses of native and invader populations of Brassica nigra.

Differences in plant and herbivore community assemblages between exotic and native ranges may select for different levels of plant traits in invasive and native populations of plant species. Little is currently known of how herbivores may mediate competitive and facilitative interactions between invasive and native populations of plant species and their plant neighbors. Here, we conducted a com...

Specialist Insect Herbivore and Light Availability Do Not Interact in the Evolution of an Invasive Plant

Release from specialist insect herbivores may allow invasive plants to evolve traits associated with decreased resistance and increased competitive ability. Given that there may be genetic trade-off between resistance and tolerance, invasive plants could also become more tolerant to herbivores. Although it is widely acknowledged that light availability affects tolerance to herbivores, little in...

Mammalian herbivore breath alerts aphids to flee host plant

Mammalian herbivores profoundly influence plant-dwelling insects [1]. Most studies have focused on the indirect effect of herbivory on insect populations via damage to the host plant [2,3]. Many insects, however, are in danger of being inadvertently ingested during herbivore feeding. Here, we report that pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) are able to sense the elevated heat and humidity of the br...

Food-plant Specialization, and Local Adaptation of Insect Herbivores Living in a Fragmented Landscape

Effects of generalist herbivory on resistance and resource allocation by the invasive plant, Phytolacca americana.

Successful invasions by exotic plants are often attributed to a loss of co-evolved specialists and a re-allocation of resources from defense to growth and reproduction. However, invasive plants are rarely completely released from insect herbivory because they are frequently attacked by generalists in their introduced ranges. The novel generalist community may also affect the invasive plant's de...