Small-scale distributional dynamics of the yellow water-lily and its herbivore Galerucella nymphaeae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

I followed the within-generation distribution of a chewing specialist herbivore, the water-lily beetle, on individually marked leaves of the yellow water-lily. Yellow water-lilies produced new leaves steadily throughout the growth season. Average leaf longevity was 3–4 weeks, much shorter than the developmental time of the beetle. The average egg-load of leaves was about 120. Leaf longevity was independent of egg density, but migration rate of the first instar larvae was density-dependent. Beetles occurred in every leaf, but consumed only a fraction (17%) of the available leaf area. However, this caused the leaf to lose its floating ability, so even this low rate of consumption made the leaf unavailable to herbivores. The herbivore population had to redistribute itself throughout the summer, escaping from the drowning leaves to fresh ones. No beetle could survive from egg to adult on a single leaf. The small-scale redistribution of the herbivore strongly affected the damage experienced by the host plant. In general, ability to redistribute depends on the dispersal ability of the herbivore, and thus migration ability may strongly affect the plant-herbivore interaction.