Collaborative Research: Chemical and Sensory Basis of Hostplant Specificity

该项目将研究化学和感官 草食性昆虫寄主专一性的基础。 近缘昆虫物种的能力差异 使用植物宿主，和成人之间的反应差异 并检查同一物种的幼虫。 两棵卷心菜 蝴蝶、粉蝶和甘蓝粉蝶（鳞翅目），以及 五种不同利用的十字花科植物将作为一个模型， 系统 主要目标是（1）确定行为如何 和感官反应在不同的生命阶段和 （2）确定化学物质在多大程度上 植物之间的差异说明了它们对 粉蝶科食草动物 不同的生物测定将指导分离 影响产卵、取食和生长的植物化合物 昆虫。 电生理记录将用于 比较对化合物的感觉和行为反应。 的 结果将提供一个综合的观点， 植物化学与昆虫反应之间的相互作用. 不同的生命阶段导致昆虫-寄主植物特异性。

This project will investigate the chemical and sensory foundations of host specificity in herbivorous insects. Differences in the ability of closely related insect species to use a plant host, and discrepancies between responses of adults and larvae of the same species will be examined. Two cabbage butterflies, Pieris rapae and P.napi oleracea (Lepidoptera) and five differentially utilized crucifers will serve as a model system. The major objectives are (1) to determine how behavioral and sensory responses differ between life stages and between species, and (2) to determine the extent to which chemical differences between plants account for their susceptibility to pierid herbivory. Different bioassays will guide the isolation of plant compounds affecting oviposition, feeding and growth of the insects. Electrophysiological recordings will be used to compare sensory and behavioral responses to the compounds. The results will provide an integrated view of the way that interactions between plant chemistry and insect responses at different life stages lead to insect-hostplant specificity.