Preference-performance relationship and influence of plant relatedness on host use by Pityogenes chalcographus L.

Coralie Bertheau (1) , Aurélien Sallé (2) , Geraldine Roux-Morabito (3) , Jacques Garcia (3) , Grégoire Certain (4) , François Lieutier (2)

1 BOKU - Institute of Forest Ecology, Universität für Bodenkultur
2 LBLGC - Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures
3 URZF - Unité de recherche Zoologie Forestière
4 LIENSs - LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés

1 Pityogenes chalcographus L. (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) causes damage in European coniferous forests, primarily on Picea abies L. Karst., but is also recorded on other native and exotic Pinaceae species. Estimating the adequacy between adult preference and larval performance of this beetle among its host-range, as well as the influence of plant taxonomic relatedness on these parameters, would provide useful information on the beetle’s ability to shift onto novel hosts. 2 Choice and no-choice assays were conducted under laboratory conditions. Adult preference and larval performance parameters among two native (Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea abies) and three exotic north American [Pinus contorta Dougl., Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. and Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirbel (Franco)] conifer species were measured. 3 Pityogenes chalcographus exhibited a significant positive relationship between preference and performance. Picea abies was both the preferred and the most suitable host species for larval development. The closest relative, P. sitchensis, was the second best choice in terms of preference and performance. Pseudotsuga menziesii occupied an intermediate position for both beetle preference and performance, and Pinus spp. were the least suitable hosts for beetle development. 4 Adult preference and larval performance ranking among hosts provides little support to the plant taxonomic relatedness hypothesis. Taxonomic relatedness could play a role on the diet breadth, although only at a limited scale, within the genus Picea. At higher taxonomic levels, other factors such as bark thickness might be decisive.

Mots clés: BARK BEETLE; SIX-SPINED SPRUCE BARK BEETLE; SIX-TOOTHED SPRUCE BARK BEETLE; INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES; NATIVE SPECIES; LARVAL DEVELOPMENT; TAXONOMY; INSECT-PLANT RELATIONSHIP; SCOLYTINAE; PITYOGENES CHALCOGRAPHUS; ESPECE NATIVE

Mots clés: PEST INSECT; EPICEA COMMUN; RELATION PLANTE-INSECTE; ESPECE EXOTIQUE INVASIVE

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés; Evolution [q-bio.PE]; Systématique, phylogénie et taxonomie

Coralie Bertheau, Aurélien Sallé, Geraldine Roux-Morabito, Jacques Garcia, Grégoire Certain, et al.. Preference-performance relationship and influence of plant relatedness on host use by Pityogenes chalcographus L.. Agricultural and Forest Entomology, 2009, 11 (4), pp.389 - 396. ⟨10.1111/j.1461-9563.2009.00442.x⟩. ⟨hal-01690916⟩