Phenotypic plasticity in morphological features of Thelaxes suberi (Del Guercio, 1911) (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) feed on Quercus (L.) species
Journal Title: Journal of Insect Biodiversity - Year 2017, Vol 5, Issue 8
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is a common and important phenomenon in aphids, particularly in host plant utilization. It has been shown that Thelaxes suberi species fed on three closely related Quercus species showed high amount of phenotypic plasticity in morphological characters. Thelaxes suberi population has the largest morphological features on Quercus infectoria and the smallest morphological features on the Quercus coccifera. It was thought that these differences related with the total protein content and level of amino acid in acorns of the host plant where Thelaxes individuals were collected during this study. Findings of the study indicated how high is phenotypic plasticity capacity of aphid species and interactions with host plant properties. Another important implication of the result is that as aphid has a close relationship with host plant and even small amount of changes in the same Quercus species caused that amount of plasticity in Thelaxes species. Recent ecological changes including climatic fluctuations directly influences host plants morphological/nutritional composition and might also impacts the diversity and distribution of aphid species. Findings were also discussed for possible changes in host plant range of the T. suberi as a result of the current phenotypic plasticity and possible interactions between different types of phenotypic plasticities.
Authors and Affiliations
Gazi Görür, Emin Demirtaş
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP34257
- DOI -
- Views 310
- Downloads 0
The genus Ivalia Jacoby 1887 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) of the mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
The following new species of Ivalia Jacoby 1887 are described from the mount Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia): Ivalia besar sp. nov., I. biasa sp. nov., I. fulvomaculata sp. nov., I. haruka sp. nov., I. marginata sp. nov., I...
Morphology of two Larinus Dejean (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) species introduced into North America for biological control of knapweeds
The morphology of two introduced knapweed feeders Larinus obtusus Gyllenhal, 1835 and Larinus minutus Gyllenhal, 1835 is investigated. The external and internal morphological characters are described for both sexes. Th...
Rhinusa Stephens: a taxonomic revision of the species belonging to the R. tetra and R. bipustulata groups (Coleoptera Curculionidae)
The species of Rhinusa Stephens, 1829 (Curculionidae, Curculioninae, Mecinini) belonging to the R. tetra and R. bipustulata groups are revised. Four of them from Middle East are new to science. The R. bipustulata group...
Description of a new species of the ant genus Ooceraea Roger, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae; Dorylinae) from the Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Ooceraea quadridentata sp. nov. is described based on a colony series collected from a disturbed and bamboo-mixed evergreen forest in Vietnam’s Central Highlands (Nam Kar Nature Reserve, Dak Lak Province). This new speci...
An assessment of leaf-litter and epigaeic ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) living in different landscapes of the Atlantic Forest Biome in the State of Bahia, Brazil
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has a rich biodiversity increasingly threatened by human activities. Since the colonial period, the coast of the state of Bahia is among the most affected regions of Brazil by anthropic pr...