Metacommunity Ecology Group

Insect-plant and multitrophic level interactions

Species influence each others fitness both directly, and indirectly through intermediaries. The outcomes of these interactions vary spatially. For instance, the impact of host plant quality can cascade through the food chain. Because host plant quality is spatially heterogeneous, it can cause community structure to be spatially heterogeneous.

van Nouhuys, S. & Hanski, I. 2002. Multitrophic interactions in space: metacommunity dynamics in fragmented landscapes. In Multitrophic level interactions (T. Tscharntke & B. A. Hawkins eds.) Cambridge University Press. pp. 124-147 PDF

We study direct and indirect interactions among species, mostly using the plant-herbivore-parasitoid trophic chain:

Plantago lanceolata - Melitaea cinxia - Cotesia melitaearum/Hyposoter horticola

Plant-insect interactions:

Nieminen, M., J. Suomi, S. van Nouhuys, P. Sauri, M. Riekkola. 2003. Effect of iridoid glycoside content on oviposition host plant and parasitism in a specialist herbivore. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 29: 823-844 PDF

van Nouhuys, S., M.C. Singer, M. Nieminen. 2003. Spatial and temporal patterns of caterpillar performance and the suitability of two host plant species. Ecological Entomology, 28: 193-202 PDF

Saastamoinen, M., van Nouhuys, S., Nieminen, M., O'Hara, B., Suomi, J. 2007. Development and survival of a specialist herbivore, Melitaea cinxia, on host plants producing high and low concentrations of iridoid glycosides. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 44: 70-80 PDF

Reudler Talsma, J., Biere, A., Harvey, J. A., van Nouhuys, S. Oviposition cues for a specialist butterfly: plant chemistry and size. Journal of chemical Ecology, in press

Reudler Talsma, J., Torri, K. van Nouhuys, S. 2008 Host plant use by the Heath fritillary butterfly, Melitaea athalia : plant habitat, species and chemistry. Arthropod-Plant Interactions, 2: 63-75 PDF

Plant-herbivore-parasitoid:

Castelo, M. K., van Nouhuys, S., Corley, J. C. Olfactory cues for a parasitoid that uses hosts as larvae but searches for them as eggs, in review

Harvey, J.A., van Nouhuys, S., Biere, A. 2005. Effects of quantitative variation in allelochemicals in Plantago lanceolata on development of a generalist and a specialist herbivore and their endoparasitoids. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 31: 287-302 PDF

van Nouhuys, S. & I. Hanski. 1999. Host diet affects extinctions and colonizations in a parasitoid metapopulation. Journal of Animal Ecology, 68: 1248-125 PDF

Plant-herbivore-parasitoid-phytopathogen:

van Nouhuys, S. and Laine, A-L. 2008 Population dynamics and sex ratio of a parasitoid altered by fungal infected diet of host butterfly. Proceedings of the Royal Society B , 275: 377-385 PDF