›› 2018, Vol. 61 ›› Issue (2): 232-239.doi: 10.16380/j.kcxb.2018.02.010

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of host plants on the feeding behavior and detoxification enzyme activities in Hyphantria cunea (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) larvae

LI Lu-Sha, YUAN Yu-Fei, WU Lei, CHEN Min*   

  1. (Key Laboratory of Beijing for Control to Forest Pest, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)
  • Online:2018-02-20 Published:2018-02-20

Abstract: 【Aim】 The objective of this study is to quantify the feeding preference of Hyphantria cunea to different host plants and to verify its feeding strategy based on the contents of secondary metabolites in host plants and the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and detoxification enzymes in H. cunea larvae. 【Methods】Eight plants including Morus alba, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ailanthus altissima, Ulmus pumila, Populus nigra, Salix babylonica, Malus micromalus and Lonicera maackii in different damaged degrees in Beijing were selected as the host plants to raise H. cunea larvae. The feeding preference of the 4th instar larvae of H. cunea to these host plants was evaluated by measuring their feeding amount, selectivity and nutritional efficiency on leaves of different host plants. The contents of flavonoids, total phenols and tannin in host plants, and the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AchE), glutathione S transferases (GSTs), carboxylesterase (CarE) and cytochrome P450 (P450) in the 4th instar larvae of H. cunea fed on leaves of different host plants were assayed. 【Results】 The 4th instar larvae of H. cunea had different selectivity to host plants, and the preference order was F. pennsylvanica and A. altissima>M. alba>U. pumila>M. micromalus, S. babylonica and L. maackii>P. nigra. The flavonoid content in host plant leaves was negatively correlated with the feeding amount of H. cunea larvae (r=-0.657, P=0.017). The larvae feeding on different plants had different nutritional efficiency. H. cunea larvae fed on L. maackii had the highest approximate digestibility (AD) (0.97%±0.01%), relatively high relative consumption rate (RCR) (2.92±0.49 g/g·d), and the lowest efficiency of conversation of ingested food (ECI) (0.005±0.01%), efficiency of conversation of digested food (ECD) (0.005%±0.008%) and relative growth rate (RGR) (0.007±0.02 g/g·d). In addition, the larvae feeding on M. micromalus had the highest RGR (0.34±0.04 g/g·d) and relatively high levels of AD (0.72%±0.10%), ECI (0.16±0.01%), ECD (0.24%±0.06%) and RCR (2.19±0.38 g/g·d). The activities of AchE, GSTs, CarE and P450 in H. cunea larvae fed on different host plants were significantly different (P<0.01). 【Conclusion】 H. cunea larvae have different feeding preference and nutritional efficiency on different host plants. Their flexible feeding strategy and detoxification mechanism may be the main reasons for strong adaptability of this insect to different host plants.

Key words: Hyphantria cunea, host plants, flavonoids, nutritional efficiency, acetylcholinesterase, detoxification enzymes