editha host plants

[Niklas Wahlberg]

Now that's a subject on which there is a huge amount of literature! I wish 
I had the time to explain, but time seems to be a limited commodity at the 
moment. If you are interested in editha specifically, you should look up 
Mike Singer's work, he has published on the host plant relations of editha 
since the early 70's. Here is one reference from where you can find some info

White RR, Singer MC (1974) Geographical distribution of host plant choice 
in Euphydryas editha (Nymphalidae). J Lepid Soc 28:103-107

and there are many more, and more in the works. Here is a reference about 
Plantago lanceolata being incorporated into editha's diet:

Singer MC, Thomas CD, Parmesan C (1993) Rapid human-induced evolution of 
insect-host associations. Nature 366:681-683

Sorry I can't elaborate. Maybe later.

Cheers,
Niklas

At 08:27 16.01.2002 -0800, Richard Worth wrote:
>Actually bayensis, down in Santa Clara County, CA, uses two native hosts, 
>Owl's clover, a scroph like Castilleja, and Plantago erecta. I believe the 
>larva starts feeding early in the spring on one, and then moves over to 
>the other host a little later to finish development (not sure the order of 
>plants used).  I recall slope angle and aspect as factors in this 
>behavior, too.  Though the plants are in different families maybe there 
>are chemical similarities that allow "an easy switch" or maybe one is just 
>"lettuce" to munch on to finish development.????  But it seems there  is 
>certainly some recent evolution in the host use of editha over a wide 
>distribution.  What do other races of editha use as hosts throughout the 
>range in the west?  Anyone?
>
>Rich
>
>Andy wrote:  snipped
>>So this is a taxon that DEPENDS on early successional habitats to
>>reproduce (and who knows what else it needs...).  Land management
>>practices in the Coast Ranges and valleys certainly have not favored this
>>butterfly.  Interestingly, the "typical" larval food plant for Euphydryas
>>editha through most of its range is Castilleja (in almost all of Oregon,
>>anyway); however the possible original host Castilleja species in the
>>Willamette Valley is also nearly extinct, and occurs only at a few sites
>>(but not at the taylori site).
>>The taylori's W of Corvallis feed on Plantago lanceolata, a widespread
>>introduced "weed" (that occurs as a dense ground cover in areas under this
>>powerline cut).  [note, however that the BC butterfly book indicates a
>>native Plantago species as the a host for taylori, so perhaps the
>>host-switch to lanceolata, which has presumably occurred separately in OR
>>and WA - BC is not so dramatic].
>
>Richard A. Worth
>Oregon Department of Agriculture
>Plant Division
>rworth at oda.state.or.us
>(503) 986-6461
>
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Niklas Wahlberg
Department of Zoology
Stockholm University
S-106 91 Stockholm
SWEDEN

Phone: +46 8 164047
Fax:   +46 8 167715

http://www.zoologi.su.se/research/wahlberg/


 
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