What factors are important for determining the species specificity in plant-pollinator mutualism?

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26840154
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Gifu University (2015-2016); Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (2014)
• Principal Investigator: Okamoto Tomoko 岐阜大学, 応用生物科学部, 助教 (50588150)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 種特異性 / 送粉 / 植食性昆虫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research is to reveal why the Epicephala moth feed on only one host species through its larval stage. I conducted two experiments, the laboratory experiments using cultivated plants and moth larvae and electrophysiological tests. It revealed that the survival rates of Epicephala larvae feeding on the seeds of non-host species decreased, and the female adults of Epicephala can detect their host species using some specific compounds emitted from host flowers. Although the cause of the Epicephala moths could not develop on non-host species under my laboratory experiments is not unknown, it may be thought that Epicephala larvae can digest only the seeds of host species or their growth rates cannot synchronize with the developing speeds of non-host seeds.

Free Research Field

化学生態学