INSECT ECOLOGY

focus on interaction of pop diff sp of insects with each other and with plants, animal & physical factors focus on interaction of pop diff sp of insects with each other and with plants, animal & physical factors trophic relationship= feeding relationship trophic relationship= feeding relationship herbivorous herbivorous carnivorous: meat eating: i)predators ii) parasitoid carnivorous: meat eating: i)predators ii) parasitoid detritivores detritivores

HERBIVOROUS Most successful insect Most successful insect Eat plant Eat plant Many part of plants Many part of plants Way of eating: Way of eating: i) chewing plants part: grasshopper, stick insects, larvae of butterfly/moths, beetles etc i) chewing plants part: grasshopper, stick insects, larvae of butterfly/moths, beetles etc Ii) leaf miners: feed or "mine" between the upper and lower epidermal leaf surfaces Ii) leaf miners: feed or "mine" between the upper and lower epidermal leaf surfaces Generally very small, compressed, flattened Generally very small, compressed, flattened usually the larvae of flies, moths, or beetles usually the larvae of flies, moths, or beetles

Weevil beetle (the larva is leafminer)

iii) Borer: bore into stems of weed/ tree trunks/roots of underground plants iii) Borer: bore into stems of weed/ tree trunks/roots of underground plants Often concealed (tak nampak) Often concealed (tak nampak)

iv) Sap suckers iv) Sap suckers Feed on sap the vascular tissues (xylem & phloem) Feed on sap the vascular tissues (xylem & phloem) Hemiptera/homoptera Hemiptera/homoptera result: discoloration result: discoloration

V) gall making insects V) gall making insects Insect command the plant hormonal sys. To produce abnormal growth Insect command the plant hormonal sys. To produce abnormal growth Provide place for the insects to live & nutrients Provide place for the insects to live & nutrients CYNIPID WASP

CARNIVOROUS i) predators i) predators Found everywhere, less nutritional challenge Found everywhere, less nutritional challenge Dragonfly, damselfly, some crickets/flies/beetles Dragonfly, damselfly, some crickets/flies/beetles Major characteristics of insect predators: Major characteristics of insect predators: adults and immatures are often generalists rather than specialists adults and immatures are often generalists rather than specialists they generally are larger than their prey they generally are larger than their prey they kill or consume many prey they kill or consume many prey males, females, immatures, and adults may be predatory males, females, immatures, and adults may be predatory they attack immature and adult prey they attack immature and adult prey

ii)parasitoids ii)parasitoids an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism which it ultimately kills (and often consumes) in the process. an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism which it ultimately kills (and often consumes) in the process.life historyhostorganismlife historyhostorganism

koinobiont: allow the host to continue its development and often do not kill/paralyze or consume the host until the host is about to either pupate or become an adult koinobiont: allow the host to continue its development and often do not kill/paralyze or consume the host until the host is about to either pupate or become an adult Idiobiont: prevent any further development of the host after initial parasitization, and this typically involves a host life stage which is immobile (e.g., an egg or pupa), Idiobiont: prevent any further development of the host after initial parasitization, and this typically involves a host life stage which is immobile (e.g., an egg or pupa),pupa