Herbivory and the success of Ligustrum lucidum: Evidence from a comparison between native and novel ranges
- Montti, Lia Fernanda
- Ayup, María Marta
- Aragón, Myriam Roxana
- Weilong, Qi
- Honghua, Ruan
- Fernandez, Romina Daiana
- Casertano, Sergio A.
- Xiaoming, Zou
DOIAbstract
Invasive plant species may benefit from a reduction in herbivory in their introduced range. The reduced herbivory may cause a reallocation of resources from defence to fitness. Here, we evaluated leaf herbivory of an invasive tree species (Ligustrum lucidum Aiton) in its native and novel ranges, and determined the potential changes in leaf traits that may be associated with the patterns of herbivory. We measured forest structure, damage by herbivores and leaf traits in novel and native ranges, and on the basis of the literature, we identified the common natural herbivores of L. lucidum. We also performed an experiment offering leaves from both ranges to a generalist herbivore (Spodoptera frugiperda). L. lucidum was more abundant and experie...