Impact of the Mirid Bug Capsodes infuscatus (Hemiptera: Miridae) on Fruit Production of the Geophyte Asphodelus aestivus : the Effect of Plant Density
Abstract
The leaf, stalk, flower, and fruit of the geophyte Asphodelus aestivus Brot. (Liliaceae) in east Mediterranean mesic habitats are mainly attacked by the monophagous mirid bug Capsodes infuscatus Brulle (Hemiptera: Miridae). The sexual reproductive performance of A. aestivus was examined under natural levels of insect herbivory at three different host densities at the same site. Plants in the low and medium density plots were heavily attacked by C. infuscatus and failed to produce fruits, while plants from high density plots were less intensively attacked and produced some fruits. The observed inversely density-dependent damages are discussed with respect to plant compensation, population dynamics, and sexual vs. asexual reproduction.Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.
