Sensitivity of host choice to adult density in the bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus)

Tucic, N. . Institute of Zoology; Karaulic, S.; Stojkovic, O.

Sensitivity of host choice to adult density in the bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus)

1998

Tucic, N. (Faculty of Biology, Belgrade (Yugoslavia). Institute of Zoology) | Karaulic, S. | Stojkovic, O.

The major finding of the present study is that long term rearing of Acanthoscelides obtectus on the two hosts (Cicer arietinum and Phaseolus vulgaris) could result in different sensitivity of host choice to adult density. In the Cicer we did not detect density - dependent effect of host choice, whereas in the Phaseolus line the number of eclosed offspring on the chickpea seeds almost linearly increased with the parental density. However, within the line maintained on the chickpeas there was a significant tendency for offspring to develop faster on the host species that their female parent chose. The observed differences between Phaseolus and Cicer lines indicate that genetic variation for host selection could be maintained within bean weevil populations in two different ways. In the Phaseolus line an underlying mechanism is a density - dependent regulation, while in the Cicer line this could be a genetic correlation between preference and performance.

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