New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Multitrophic interaction between the ryegrass Lolium perenne, its
endophyte Neotyphodium lolii, the weevil pest Listronotus
bonariensis, and its parasitoid Microctonus hyperodae
S. L. GOLDSON
J. R. PROFFITT
L. R. FLETCHER
D. B. BAIRD
AgResearch
P.O. Box 60
Lincoln, New Zealand
Email: goldsons@agresearch.cri.nz
Abstract Field experiments in Canterbury, New Zealand,
investigated four levels of interaction involving the clavicipitaceous
endophytic fungi Neotyphodium lolii measured as ppm of the alkaloid
peramine in bulked samples of Lolium perenne, the weevil pest
Listronotus bonariensis, and its braconid parasitoid Microctonus
hyperodae. Weevil numbers were unusually low and the expected inverse
relationship between ground densities and peramine concentration was not
observed. There was, however, a highly significant tritrophic interaction
whereby percent parasitism was inversely related to ppm of peramine. Possible
mechanisms for this interaction are discussed and it is suggested that it may
have been the result of reduced feeding intensity of L. bonariensis that
led to a corresponding reduction in opportunity for the parasitoid to attack.
Keywords Lolium perenne; Neotyphodium lolii;
Listronotus bonariensis; Microctonus hyperodae; multitrophic
interaction
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 2000, Vol. 43: 227-233
0028-8233/00/4302-0227 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
2000
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (578K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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