Smith, R.A., K.A. Mooney, A.A. Agrawal. 2008. Coexistence of three specialist aphids on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. Ecology. 89(8): 2187-2196.
Abstract
Coexistence of host-specific herbivores on plants is believed to be governed by interspecific interactions, but few empirical studies have systematically unraveled these dynamics. We investigated the role of several factors in promoting coexistence among the aphids Aphis nerii, Aphis asclepiadis, and Myzocallis asclepiadis that all specialize on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Competitive exclusion is thought to occur when interspecific competition is stronger than intraspecific competition.
Züst, T. & A.A. Agrawal. 2015. Population growth and sequestration of plant toxins along a gradient of specialization in four aphid species on the common milkweed Asclepias syriaca. Functional Ecology doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12523 pp. 1-10.
Summary
1. Dietary specialization in insect herbivores has long been hypothesized to predict tolerance of plant defenses, with more specialized herbivores being highly tolerant of and sometimes sequestering plant secondary compounds. Plant variation in secondary compounds should thus play an important and predictable role in shaping the performance and distribution of insect communities.
By R. Foottit & E. Maw H.V. Danks & J.A. Downes (Eds.), Insects of the Yukon. Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), Ottawa: 387 – 404, 1997
Full text
Detailed accounts of >100 spp. recorded or expected to occur in the Yukon Territory (distribution, habitats, host plants) with insight into the composition and origins of the fauna.
