ArticleJournal of chemical ecology2026
Comparative Analysis of the Leaf Volatiles of Two Sympatric Mikania (Asteraceae) Species and their Impact on Host Selection in Stolas Conspersa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).
Article in Journal of chemical ecology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
The tortoise beetle Stolas conspersa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae) exhibits strong host specialization on Mikania spp. (Asteraceae), yet field and laboratory observations reveal contrasting patterns. In natural habitats, beetles predominantly aggregate on Mikania salviifolia, whereas laboratory assays indicate a clear preference for an as-yet-unidentified species, Mikania sp. To resolve this apparent paradox, we investigated this system by combining chemical analyses, behavioral bioassays, and electrophysiological recordings. Analysis of essential oil profiles revealed distinct chemical signatures: M. sp. was dominated by monoterpenes (87.9%), particularly α-phellandrene, whereas M. salviifolia produced exclusively sesquiterpenes, with β-elemene as the main component. In Y-tube assays, females exhibited strong attraction and preference to M. sp. volatiles and showed robust antennal responses to the complete oil blend, but they did not respond to the synthetic versions of the major individual volatile compounds, suggesting that recognition relies on minor components or the full volatile mixture. Males showed no responses. Field surveys revealed that both species co-occur in the same localities. However, M. sp. is subject to mechanical trimming and disturbance by human activities, whereas M. salviifolia remains largely undisturbed in its microhabitat. These conditions suggest that females balance an innate preference for monoterpene-rich blends with ecological flexibility, exploiting M. salviifolia when habitat stability ensures reliable host availability despite the lower chemical attractiveness of its sesquiterpenes. This system illustrates how insects may adjust host use in response to local habitat context. Overall, our study demonstrates that host choice in S. conspersa is shaped by the interplay between sensory specialization and environmental context, highlighting the role of disturbance in modulating insect-plant interactions.
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