Increased free amino acid contents of the invasive weed Ageratina adenophora and the effects on its specialist herbivore Procecidochares utilis |
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Authors: | Xin Gao,Yuanyuan Sun,Yuehui Diao,Yunpeng Zhao,Rodrí guez‐Leyva Esteban,Guoqing Yang |
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Abstract: | In order to verify the escape‐from‐enemy hypothesis from the changes of nutrient substance and fitness of natural enemies on alien plants, contents of free amino acids in native and invasive plant populations of Ageratina adenophora and life history parameters of specialist herbivore Procecidochares utilis reared on these plants were investigated. Our results showed that the contents of glycine, valine, γ‐aminobutyric acid, proline, serine, alanine, and arginine in the invasive plants were higher than those in the native plants of A. adenophora. There was a shorter developmental duration and higher fecundity of P. utilis when fed on the invasive plants. The results indicated a possible fitness tradeoff of natural enemies between invasive and native plants arose from nutrient substance changes. |
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Keywords: | Ageratina adenophora free amino acid life history parameters Procecidochares utilis |
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