Facilitation of tiger moths by outbreaking tussock moths that share the same host plants

The Journal of Animal Ecology
Richard KarbanMarcel Holyoak

Abstract

1. Ecologists have argued about the commonness and strength of interspecific competition between insect herbivores, but facilitation between herbivores has received much less consideration. We previously found that when two species of folivorous caterpillars co-occurred on a shared host plant, feeding by early season tiger moth caterpillars reduced the growth and reproduction of later season tussock caterpillars. However, densities of tussock caterpillars in summer were positively correlated with densities of tiger moth caterpillars the following spring. 2. In this study, we experimentally manipulated numbers of feeding tussock caterpillars and found that they facilitated tiger moth caterpillars. 3. The depth of the litter layer beneath host lupine bushes was positively correlated with the number of tussock caterpillars feeding on each bush. Experimental additions of litter beneath lupine canopies during summer resulted in increased numbers of tiger moth caterpillars in the following spring, indicating a causal role of litter. Litter potentially provides food, habitat and protection from desiccation and predation. We failed to find evidence that tussock caterpillars facilitated tiger moth caterpillars by mechanisms independent ...Continue Reading

References

Jan 30, 2007·Ecology Letters·Alan HastingsWilliam G Wilson
May 5, 2009·Oecologia·Wim H van der PuttenD A Wardle
Dec 9, 2009·Ecology·Andrew D Irving, Mark D Bertness
Feb 13, 2010·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Richard Karban, Perry de Valpine
May 1, 1994·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·M D Bertness, R Callaway

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