The Effect of Nutrient-Allelochemicals Interaction on Food Consumption and Growth Performance of Alder Leaf Beetle, Agelastica alni L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

In this study, the effects of secondary metabolites on the feedingpreference and growth of generalist caterpillars, Agelastica alni L., wereinvestigated. Feeding experiment has been applied with a total of 11 diet; 6 ofwhich were prepared by adding different concentrations of gallic acid (1, 3, 5 %)and quinine (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 %) to the control diet, 3 diet of which prepared byadding different concentrations of gallic acid and quinine. According to theresults, the amount of gallic acid consumed did not affect the food consumptionand the amount of pupa lipids. However, the amount of gallic acid consumedpositively affects the pupal mass and the pupal crude protein. In addition, theamount of quinine consumed negatively affected the developmental performanceof larvae except for the food consumption. As the count of secondary metabolitesin the diet increases, the pupal mass and the pupal crude protein decrease. Overall,during the co-evolution processs, A. alni larvae may be able to adapt togallotannins. However, quinine, an alkaloid, is a feeding deterrence and growthsuppressor for larvae.