The difference of intra-and inter-specific agonistic behaviors between Spodoptera frugiperda and Mythimna separata
Insects engage in complicated forms of intra-and inter-specific competition to secure essential resources,including food and mates.Agonistic behaviors,notably fighting,are a crucial aspect of insect competition.The fall armyworm(Spodoptera frugiperda)is an important invasive pest in the maize fields of China,competing with local pests during its invasion.The difference in intra-and inter-specific competitive abilities between the fall armyworm and local pests is key to the successful invasion,colonization,and even replacement of the local population.The oriental armyworm(Mythimna separata)is one of the local pests in the maize fields.This study delves into the agonistic behaviors of the two pests with different instars in intra-and inter-specific competition.In the intraspecific agonistic encounters,the oriental armyworm exhibited a heightened frequency of attack behaviors,especially the head-touching behavior.The older larvae of the fall armyworm showed the conspicuously aggressive tendencies towards their younger counterparts,the head-touching and strike behaviors in the larval combination of 6th instar vs 4th instar were(0.318±0.073)and(0.313±0.059)counts per min,respectively.In the interspecific agonistic encounters,the fall armyworm consistently demonstrated significantly elevated and lethal attack behaviors towards the oriental armyworm,the strike behavior in the larval combinations of 4th instar vs 4th instar,5th instar vs 5th instar,6th instar vs 6th instar,4th instar vs 6th instar,and 6th instar vs 4th instar were(0.337±0.052),(0.695±0.127),(0.546±0.051),(0.362±0.043),and(1.026±0.172)counts per min,respectively.The oriental armyworm did not exhibit noteworthy differentials in attack and defense behaviors towards the fall armyworm,except for the predominantly aggressive behaviors in the larval combinations of 4th instar vs 4th instar.These empirical findings contribute to illustrate the agonistic behaviors of lepidopteran larvae and provide a theoretical underpinning for deciphering the intra-and inter-specific dynamics governing pest interactions.
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万方数据
