Intraspecific interaction of host plant influences local distribution of specialist herbivores through metabolic alterations in leaves

Abstract

AbstractRecent studies suggest that changes in leaf traits due to interactions between plants affect the resource utilisation and distribution of herbivores. However, this has not yet been confirmed experimentally. Here, we investigated the effects of phenotypic plasticity in leaf traits of Rumex obtusifolius (host plant) in response to the intra- and interspecific interaction on distribution of two leaf beetles, Gastrophysa atrocyanea (specialist herbivore) and Galerucella grisescens (generalist herbivore).We investigated the local population density of R. obtusifolius plants and the presence of leaf beetles on the plants at five study sites. Leaf chemicals (condensed tannins and total phenolics) were compared between aggregated and solitary R. obtusifolius plants. To clarify the effects of the interaction environment of R. obtusifolius plants on their leaf traits and resource utilisation by leaf beetles, we conducted cultivation and preference experiments. Leaf chemicals (chlorophylls, organic acids, primary metabolites, condensed tannins and total phenolics) and preferences of adult leaf beetles were compared between intraspecific, interspecific plant interaction, or no-interaction treatments. Finally, we evaluated the effects of interaction between R. obtusifolius on leaf beetle distribution in mesocosm experiments.In the field, the presence of the specialist leaf beetle, G. atrocyanea, was positively correlated with the local population density (rosette overlap ratio) of R. obtusifolius plants; however, no correlation was observed in the case of the generalist leaf beetle, G. grisescens. In the cultivation experiment, plants in the intraspecific interaction treatment increased their leaf contents of condensed tannins and total phenolics, and G. atrocyanea consumed more of these leaves than leaves in other treatments. Similar results were observed in the field. In the mesocosm experiment, larger numbers of G. atrocyanea were distributed on R. obtusifolius plants exposed to below-ground intraspecific interaction than on plants not exposed to intraspecific interaction.Our results provide experimental evidence that leaf-trait changes in response to intraspecific interaction between host plants influence specialist herbivore distribution. This highlights the need to integrate plant–plant interactions into our understanding of plant–animal interactions.