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Indirect interactions between galling insects as mediated by a non-native plant

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dc.contributor.authorLucci-Rimer, Hayley, author
dc.contributor.authorOde, Paul, advisor
dc.contributor.authorBalgopal, Meena, advisor
dc.contributor.authorBean, Dan, committee member
dc.contributor.authorOcheltree, Troy, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2022-01-07T11:29:05Z
dc.date.available2022-01-07T11:29:05Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractRussian knapweed (Rhaponticum (=Acroptilon) repens) is a non-native plant species that has spread throughout the western United States, out-competing native and crop species. Two host-specific gall forming insects - the stem-gall wasp Aulacidea acroptilonica (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and the tip-gall midge Jaapiella ivannikovi (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) - have been employed as biological control agents to manage its spread. However, the nature of the intra- and interspecific interactions between these two insect species is not fully understood even though this information is vital to successfully controlling Russian knapweed. Examining these interactions also contributes to a growing body of knowledge on plant-mediated indirect interactions, which are prevalent among herbivorous insects. To determine the nature of these interactions (e.g., positive, negative, or neutral) and the effects that the insects, together and separately, have on Russian knapweed, I performed studies in the greenhouse and at field sites throughout Colorado. I found evidence for a negative or neutral interspecific relationship, a negative or neutral intraspecific relationship among midges, and a positive or neutral relationship among wasps. The nature of these interactions is likely density and resource dependent. The associations between each insect species and measures of plant growth and reproductive capacity were mixed across the two studies, at times showing positive, negative, or neutral relationships. More studies that consider insect density, water availability, and resource allocation within Russian knapweed should be performed to better determine how the insects interact with one another and what their effects on Russian knapweed may be under varying conditions.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierBubb_colostate_0053N_16947.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/234196
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectgalling insects
dc.subjectinvasion biology
dc.subjectnon-native
dc.subjectindirect interactions
dc.subjectbiocontrol
dc.subjectinvasive plant
dc.titleIndirect interactions between galling insects as mediated by a non-native plant
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineEcology
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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