@article{
author = "Milanović, Slobodan and Janković Tomanić, Milena and Kostić, Igor and Kostić, Miroslav and Morina, Filis and Živanović, Bojana and Lazarević, Jelica",
year = "2016",
abstract = "Larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), a generalist species, fre-
quently encounter spatial and temporal variations in diet quality. Such variation favoured the evolu-
tion of high behavioural and physiological plasticity which, depending on forest stand composition,
enables more or less successful exploitation of the environment. Even in mixed oak stands, a suitable
habitat, interspecific and intraspecific host quality variation may provoke significant variation in
gypsy moth performance and, consequently, defoliation severity. To elucidate the insufficiently
explored relationship between gypsy moth and oaks (Fagaceae), we carried out reciprocal switches
between Turkey oaks (Quercus cerris L.) and less nutritious Hungarian oaks (Quercus frainetto Ten.)
(TH and HT groups), under controlled laboratory conditions, and compared larval performance
between the switched larvae and larvae continuously fed on either Turkey oak (TT) or Hungarian
oak (HH). We found that larval traits were most strongly affected by among-tree variation in oak
quality and identity of the host consumed during the fourth instar. Switching from Turkey to Hun-
garian oak (TH) led to a longer period of feeding, decrease of mass gain, growth, and consumption
rate, lower efficiency of food use and nutrient conversion, and increase of protease and amylase activ-
ities. Larvae exposed to the reverse switch (HT) attained values of these traits characteristic for TT lar-
vae. It appeared that the lower growth in the TH group than in the TT group was caused by both
behavioural (consumption, pre-ingestive) and metabolic (post-digestive) effects from consuming
oaks. Multivariate analyses of growth, consumption, and efficiency of food use revealed that early diet
experience influenced the sensitivity of the most examined traits to less suitable Hungarian oaks, sug-
gesting the development of behavioural and physiological adjustments. Our results indicate that
lower risks of defoliation by gypsy moth might be expected in mixed stands with a higher proportion
of Hungarian oak.",
publisher = "The Netherlands Entomological Society",
journal = "Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata",
title = "Behavioural and physiological plasticity of gypsy moth larvae to host plant switching",
number = "2",
volume = "158",
doi = "10.1111/eea.12388",
pages = "152-162"
}