Abstract
Autochthonous plant species are heavily threatened by the increasing spread of invasive insects. The spatial distribution of invasive species’ hosts is likely to play a pivotal role in the establishment and further expansion of the invading species; more specifically, distance and density dependent (DDD) processes linked to plant spatial arrangement are crucial in determining susceptibility to attack, but they have usually been overlooked in invasive research. We take a spatially explicit approach to evaluate potential DDD processes in the interaction between Paysandisia archon, a tropical lepidopteran recently introduced in Spain, and the endemic Mediterranean dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis) in Mallorca (Balearic Islands). Specifically, we used spatial marked point pattern analyses, which allowed testing whether DDD processes affect attack probability and intensity on three dwarf palm populations corresponding to three different invasion phases (i.e., infestation core, early expansion, and expansion front). Our approach also allowed evaluation of whether and how intrinsic palm traits (size, sex) alter the proneness to P. archon attack over a range of spatial scales. The occurrence and nature of DDD effects on C. humilis performance varied largely among localities. At the infestation core, our analyses revealed positive density dependence, i.e., reduced damage at high densities or proximity to conspecific neighbors. By contrast, the early expansion locality showed negative density dependence of C. humilis performance, whereas at the expansion front, there was no evidence of DDD effects. Larger palms were consistently more prone to P. archon attack than small ones up to scales of 50 m. We found no evidence that palm sex altered the probability of attack by P. archon. Our results highlight the importance of spatially explicit analyses for assessing invasive events and point to the need of early interventions and prioritizing management efforts on larger palms in order to guarantee the conservation of autochthonous dwarf palm populations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AEMET Agencia Estatal de Meteorología. www.aemet.es. Accessed 24 Mar 2016
Aguilar L, Miller J, Sarto i Monteys V (2001) A new lepidopteran family for the european fauna. Shilap Rev Lepidopterol 29:86–87
Alario SM (2004) Paysandisia archon (Burmeister, 1880) (Lepidoptera, Castniidae), nuevas localizaciones en la Península Ibérica y su gestión. Bol Soc Entomol Aragon 34:237–246
Augspurger CK (1981) Reproductive synchrony of a tropical shrub: experimental studies on effects of pollinators and seed predators on Hybanthus prunifolius (Violaceae). Ecology 62:775–788
Bagchi R, Henrys PA, Brown PE et al (2011) Spatial patterns reveal negative density dependence and habitat associations in tropical trees. Ecology 92:1723–1729
Barbosa P, Hines J, Kaplan I et al (2009) Associational resistance and associational susceptibility: having right or wrong neighbors. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 40:1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.110308.120242
Bell T, Freckleton RP, Lewis OT (2006) Plant pathogens drive density-dependent seedling mortality in a tropical tree. Ecol Lett 9:569–574. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00905.x
Bellard C, Cassey P, Blackburn TM (2016) Alien species as a driver of recent extinctions. Biol Lett 12:20150623. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0623
Call LJ, Nilsen E (2003) Analysis of spatial patterns and spatial association between the invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and the native black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Am Midl Nat 150:1–14
Callaway RM (2007) Positive interactions and interdependence in plant communities. Springer, Dordrecht
Cangelosi B, Clematis F, Curir P, Monroy F (2016) Susceptibility and possible resistance mechanisms in the palm species Phoenix dactylifera, Chamaerops humilis and Washingtonia filifera against Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Bull Entomol Res 106:341–346
Colautti R, Parker JD, Cadotte MW et al (2014) Quantifying the invasiveness of species. NeoBiota 21:7–27. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.21.5310
Comita LS, Queenborough SA, Murphy SJ et al (2014) Testing predictions of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis: a meta-analysis of experimental evidence for distance-and density-dependent seed and seedling survival. J Ecol 102:845–856. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12232
Cornelissen T, Wilson Fernandes G, Vasconcellos-Neto J (2008) Size does matter: variation in herbivory between and within plants and the plant vigor hypothesis. Oikos 117:1121–1130. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2008.16588.x
del Cañizo JA (2002) Palmeras 100 géneros, 300 especies, características, clima, suelo, uso en jardinería, cuidados y curiosidades. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid
Delle-Vedove R, Frérot B, Hossaert-McKey M, Beaudoin-Ollivier L (2014) Courtship behavior of the castniid palm borer, Paysandisia archon: potential roles of male scents and visual cues in a day-flying moth. J Insect Sci 14:52. https://doi.org/10.1673/031.014.52
Diggle P (2003) Statistical analysis of spatial point patterns. Edward Arnold, London
Drescher J, Dufay A (2001) A new pest of palms in the south of France (Un nouveau ravageur des palmiers dans le sud de la France). PHM Rev Hortic 429:48–50
Espinosa B, Muccio P, Russo G (2003) Paysandisia archon, a threat to our palms. (Segnalazione dalla campania: Paysandisia archon, una minaccia per le nostre palme). Inf Agrar 59:61
Fedriani JM, Delibes M (2009) Dispersión de semillas por mamíferos en Doñana: beneficios del mutualismo y consecuencias para la conservación del Parque Nacional. Proy Investig Parq Nac 2005–2008:249–262
Fedriani JM, Delibes M (2011) Dangerous liaisons disperse the Mediterranean dwarf palm: fleshy-pulp defensive role against seed predators. Ecology 92:304–315. https://doi.org/10.1890/09-2194.1
Fedriani JM, Wiegand T (2014) Hierarchical mechanisms of spatially contagious seed dispersal in complex seed-disperser networks. Ecology 95:514–526. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-0718.1
Fedriani JM, Wiegand T, Calvo G et al (2015) Unraveling conflicting density-and distance-dependent effects on plant reproduction using a spatially-explicit approach. J Ecol 103:1344–1535. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12454
Freckleton RP, Lewis OT, Augspurger CK et al (2006) Pathogens, density dependence and the coexistence of tropical trees. Proc R Soc B 273:2909–2916. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2006.3660
Galán A, Castroviejo S (2007) Chamaerops L. In: Castroviejo S, Galán A, Luceño M et al (eds) Flora ibérica: plantas vasculares de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. Real Jard Bot, Madrid, pp 273–275
Guzmán B, Fedriani JM, Delibes M, Vargas P (2017) The colonization history of the Mediterranean dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis L. Palmae). Tree Genet Genomes 13:24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1108-1
Hambäck PA, Englund G (2005) Patch area, population density and the scaling of migration rates: the resource concentration hypothesis revisited. Ecol Lett 8:1057–1065. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00811.x
Herrera J (1989) On the reproductive biology of the dwarf palm, Chamaerops humilis in southern Spain. Principes 33:27–33
Hulme PE (2009) Trade, transport and trouble: managing invasive species pathways in an era of globalization. J Appl Ecol 46:10–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2008.01600.x
Illian J, Penttinen A, Stoyan H, Stoyan D (2008) Statistical analysis and modelling of spatial point patterns. Wiley, Chichester
Inghilesi AF, Mazza G, Cervo R et al (2013) Alien insects in Italy: comparing patterns from the regional to European level. J Insect Sci 13:73. https://doi.org/10.1673/031.013.7301
Jacquemyn H, Endels P, Honnay O, Wiegand T (2010) Evaluating management interventions in small populations of a perennial herb Primula vulgaris using spatio-temporal analyses of point patterns. J Appl Ecol 47:431–440. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01778.x
Jones FA, Comita LS (2010) Density-dependent pre-dispersal seed predation and fruit set in a tropical tree. Oikos 119:1841–1847. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18547.x
Kenis M, Rabitsch W, Auger-Rozenberg M-A, Auger-Rozenberg AM (2007) How can alien species inventories and interception data help us prevent insect invasions? Bull Entomol Res 97:489–502. https://doi.org/10.1017/S007485307005184
Kenkel NC (1988) Pattern of self-thinning in jack pine: testing the random mortality hypothesis. Ecology 69:1017–1024
Kunin WE (1999) Patterns of herbivore incidence on experimental arrays and field populations of ragwort, Senecio jacobaea. Oikos 84:515. https://doi.org/10.2307/3546430
Liégeois M, Tixier P, Beaudoin-Ollivier L (2016) Use of radio telemetry for studying flight movements of Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). J Insect Behav 29:199–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-016-9554-4
López G (2004) Guía de los árboles y arbustos de la Península Ibérica y Baleares, 2a Edición. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid
MAGRAMA (2013) Paysandisia archon. Catálogo español de especies exóticas invasoras, PAYARC/EEI/NC006. Ministerio de Agricultura y Medio Ambiente
Merlo ME, Aleman MM, Cabello J, Peñas J (1993) On the mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis). Principes 37:151–158
Meyerson LA, Mooney HA (2007) Invasive alien species in an era of globalization. Front Ecol Environ 5:199–208
Mezquida ET, Olano JM (2013) What makes a good neighborhood? Interaction of spatial scale and fruit density in the predator satiation dynamics of a masting juniper tree. Oecologia 173:483–492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-013-2631-x
Moravie M-A, Borer M, Bacher S (2006) Neighbourhood of host plants influences oviposition decisions of a stem-boring weevil. Basic Appl Ecol 7:545–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2005.12.005
Núñez Vázquez L (2015) Mortalidad de los palmitos (Chamaerops humilis) en Ses Cases Velles, Formentor T. M. de Pollença, (Mallorca) por el ataque de la Paysandisia archon. Evolución 2006–2014. Lilbre Verd Protecció d’Espècies a les Balear Cons d’Agricultura, Medi Ambient i Territ 439–446
Otway SJ, Hector A, Lawton JH (2005) Resource dilution effects on specialist insect herbivores in a grassland biodiversity experiment. J Anim Ecol 74:234–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2005.00913.x
Piao T, Comita LS, Jin G, Kim JH (2013) Density dependence across multiple life stages in a temperate old-growth forest of northeast China. Oecologia 172:207–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-012-2481-y
Price PW (1991) The plant vigor hypothesis and herbivore attack. Oikos 62:244. https://doi.org/10.2307/3545270
Rodríguez M, Delibes M, Fedriani JM (2014) Hierarchical levels of seed predation variation by introduced beetles on an endemic mediterranean palm. PLoS ONE 9:e109867. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0109867
Root R (1973) Organization of plant–arthropod association in simple and diverse habitats: the fauna of collards (I. Brassica oleracea). Ecol Monogr 43:95–124
Roques A, Rabitsch W, Rasplus J et al (2009) Alien terrestrial invertebrates of Europe. Handb Alien Species Eur. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8280-1_5
Saiz H, Alados CL (2012) Changes in semi-arid plant species associations along a livestock grazing gradient. PLoS ONE 7:e40551. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040551
Santos JC, Silveira FAO, Pereira EC, Fernandes GW (2010) Pattern of attack of a galling insect reveals an unexpected preference-performance linkage on medium-sized resources. Rev Bras Entomol 54:96–103. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0085-56262010000100012
Santos JC, Tavares C, Almeida-Cortez J (2011) Plant vigor hypothesis refuted: preference-performance linkage of a gall-inducing weevil on small-sized host plant resources. Braz J Biol 71:65–69. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1519-69842011000100010
Sarto i Monteys V, Aguilar L (2005) The Castniid Palm Borer, Paysandisia archon (Burmeister, 1880), in Europe: comparative biology, pest status and possible control methods (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). Nachrichten des Entomol Vereins Apollo 26:61–94
Sarto i Monteys V, Acín P, Rosell G et al (2012) Moths behaving like butterflies evolutionary loss of long range attractant pheromones in castniid moths: a Paysandisia archon model. PLoS ONE 7:e29282. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029282
Schlather MJ, Ribeiro PJ, Diggle PJ (2004) Detecting dependence between marks and locations of marked point processes. J R Stat Soc Ser B Stat Methodol 66:79–93
Smith L, Story JM (2003) Plant size preference of Agapeta zoegana L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a root-feeding biological control agent of spotted knapweed. Biol Control 26:270–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1049-9644(02)00169-X
Smith RM, Baker RHA, Malumphy CP et al (2007) Recent non-native invertebrate plant pest establishments in Great Britain: origins, pathways, and trends. Agric For Entomol 9:307–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2007.00349.x
Solis MA, Sullivan JJ, Janzen DH (2003) Cromarcha stroudagnesia, a new chrysaugine species boring in shoots of Tabebuia ochracea (Bignoniaceae) in a Costa Rica dry forest (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Chrysauginae). Trop Lepid 11:33–39
Solomon J (1995) Guide to insect borers in North American broadleaf trees and shrubs. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington
Sullivan JJ (2003) Density-dependent shoot-borer herbivory increases the age of first reproduction and mortality of neotropical tree saplings. Oecologia 136:96–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1233-4
Wetzel WC, Strong DR (2015) Host selection by an insect herbivore with spatially variable density dependence. Oecologia 179:777–784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3378-3
Wiegand T, Moloney KA (2014) Handbook of spatial point-pattern analysis in ecology. Chapman and Hall/CRC, Cambridge
Zhu Y, Mi X, Ren H, Ma K (2010) Density dependence is prevalent in a heterogeneous subtropical forest. Oikos 119:109–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17758.x
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to Luis Núñez, Caterina Amengual and Sandra Closa, from the Conselleria de Medi Ambient of the Balearic Government, for their support during all the phases of this study and for sharing their previous knowledge. We also thank a number of people who helped in the field: Miguel Ángel González, María Martín and Julieta Benítez-Malvido, and Tòfol Borràs, gardeners’ foreman at Ses Cases Velles, who facilitated the work at this property. Special thanks go to Miguel González Calleja, from the GIS department at IMEDEA, for preparing the software to precisely geo-reference the palms in our GPS. This work was financed by the Conselleria de Medi Ambient of the Balearic Government and coordinated by AT. AL was supported by a postdoctoral contract co-funded by the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands and the European Social Fund 2014–2020. JMF was funded by a Portuguese FCT Grant (IF/00728/2013).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruiz, J., Traveset, A., Lázaro, A. et al. A spatially explicit analysis of Paysandisia archon attack on the endemic Mediterranean dwarf palm. Biol Invasions 20, 1719–1734 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1656-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1656-1