We are pleased for the recent publication of an article by Alina Avanesyan, Cameron McPherson, and Bill Lamp entitled, “Analysis of plant trait data of host plants of Lycorma delicatula in the US suggests evidence for ecological fitting.” Plant traits and origin may be consequential in the ecological fitting of an exotic herbivore species as it invades new habitats and new potential plant hosts. Using known plant hosts for spotted lanternfly (SLF), we assessed how plant origin affects insect host selection and how native and introduced host plants differ in their morphology, lifespan, and environmental requirements. Based on 25 plant traits as well as the origin and phylogenic relationships of 37 plant hosts of SLF, we did not find a preference of SLF for native versus exotic plants, and indeed the plant traits for all hosts were similar. Our results suggest that ecological fitting of SLF as an invasive, exotic species does not stray from the plant traits and phylogeny of its native (Asian) hosts.
Read the full text article here.
Read the full text article here.
RSS Feed
