Dissertation Research: Sink Strength Manipulation and Fitness of a Galling Aphid

草食诱导的植物防御比寄主植物的生理变化对昆虫有益更容易理解。本研究将探讨昆虫操纵植物生理以达到自身优势的机制基础。它将使用金缕梅球果瘿蚜来测试有关蚜虫改变源库关系和光同化分配的能力，这些改变的影响机制，对昆虫的适应价值以及对寄主植物生物量分配和适合度的负面影响的假设。这一领域的胆生物学还没有得到很好的研究，这一建议有可能导致对胆形成昆虫和植物进化生物学有价值的见解。

Shultz 9902198Plant defenses induced by herbivory are better understood than changes in host plant physiology which benefit insects. This study will examine the mechanistic bases of the ability of insects to manipulate plant physiology to their own advantage. It will use the witch hazel cone gall aphid to test hypotheses regarding the aphid's ability to alter source-sink relationships and photoassimilate allocation, the mechanism by which these alterations are effected, the adaptive value to the insect and the negative effects on hostplant biomass allocation and fitness. This area of gall biology is not well studied and this proposal has the potential to lead to valuable insights to gall forming insects and plant evolutionary biology.