Anja Carina Melcher, Sven Weber, Klaus Birkhofer, Danilo Harms, Henrik Krehenwinkel
{"title":"To pool or not to pool: Pooled metabarcoding does not affect estimates of prey diversity in spider gut content analysis","authors":"Anja Carina Melcher, Sven Weber, Klaus Birkhofer, Danilo Harms, Henrik Krehenwinkel","doi":"10.1111/een.13382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13382","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"49 6","pages":"768-778"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/een.13382","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142588064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alejandro G. Farji‐Brener, Moisés Enríquez, Diego Rosey, Paulina Arroyo‐Gerala, Víctor Arroyo‐Rodríguez
{"title":"What determines the antipredator strategy in antlion larvae? Burrowing ability decreases the duration of post‐contact immobility","authors":"Alejandro G. Farji‐Brener, Moisés Enríquez, Diego Rosey, Paulina Arroyo‐Gerala, Víctor Arroyo‐Rodríguez","doi":"10.1111/een.13384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13384","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>For prey exhibiting alternative antipredator strategies, selecting the most effective one is critical for survival. However, what determines such selection remains an open question. We hypothesised that this selection depends on prey skill.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We test this idea in <jats:italic>Myrmeleon immaculatus</jats:italic> De Geer, 1773 (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) antlion larvae that exhibit two alternative antipredator behaviours: post‐contact immobility (PCI) and burying. As the larvae live under sandy soils, PCI is only a temporary strategy, and eventually, all larvae will burrow. However, deciding how long to remain immobile before burying may depend on how fast larvae bury themselves (i.e., how quickly the individual can camouflage itself in the substrate).</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In a tropical forest from the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, we measured the PCI duration, bury time and body size of 45 larvae in a fine‐grained experimental substrate. We also measured the mandible length to assess their effects on burying skills.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>The PCI duration was consistently shorter in larvae that took less time to bury but was longer and more variable in larvae that took more time to bury. This effect was independent of larvae body size. Mandible length did not affect burial time.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our findings suggest that when a given prey should select between two mutually excluding antipredator strategies, the intrinsic skill to perform the most relevant one (how fast burying themselves, in this case) may modulate the duration of the other (PCI, in this case). This reinforces the role of predation as a selective force that modulates prey behaviours.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142265967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jian Wen, Lu Xiao, Yan Zou, Kewei Chen, Yongyue Lu, Lang Fu, Yiqiang Weng, Fengqin Cao
{"title":"Fire ants mediate competition between scale insects and fruit flies","authors":"Jian Wen, Lu Xiao, Yan Zou, Kewei Chen, Yongyue Lu, Lang Fu, Yiqiang Weng, Fengqin Cao","doi":"10.1111/een.13377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13377","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Competition, as an interspecific interaction, significantly influences both species evolution and ecosystem stability; furthermore, its outcome can be shaped by interspecific dynamics and chemical communication.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We studied the orchard populations of mealybugs, <jats:italic>Planococcus lilacinus</jats:italic>, and fruit flies, <jats:italic>Bactrocera dorsalis</jats:italic>, assessing both their damage rates and interactions with fire ants, <jats:italic>Solenopsis invicta</jats:italic>. We analysed their competitive dynamics across various rearing conditions and identified the chemical cues from honeydew and ant semiochemicals that mediate this competition.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>The abundance of <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic> significantly influenced the damage rates of the pests we studied. An increase in the abundance of <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic> reduced the damage caused by <jats:italic>B. dorsalis</jats:italic> but increased that caused by <jats:italic>P. lilacinus</jats:italic>. Competition in varied rearing environments revealed that <jats:italic>B. dorsalis</jats:italic> had a superior ability to exploit food resources in the absence of <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic>. However, the presence of <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic> reversed this competitive outcome.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Further results showed that <jats:italic>P. lilacinus</jats:italic> honeydew attracted <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic>, which in turn deterred <jats:italic>B. dorsalis</jats:italic> from laying eggs. This suggests a strategy by <jats:italic>P. lilacinus</jats:italic> to repel <jats:italic>B. dorsalis</jats:italic> and protect its population. Key honeydew attractants, such as ethyl lactate and cis‐linalooloxide, and repellents, including d‐limonene and dodecanoic acid from <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic>, were identified.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our findings highlight the competition between <jats:italic>B. dorsalis</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>P. lilacinus</jats:italic> and emphasize the role of <jats:italic>S. invicta</jats:italic> in mediating these interactions through chemical communication. This contributes to our understanding of how these two pests coexist and has significant implications for developing new pest management strategies.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142265968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Suspended resting of caterpillars as an anti‐predator strategy","authors":"Satoru Matsubara, Shinji Sugiura","doi":"10.1111/een.13374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13374","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Resting animals are highly vulnerable to predation, making the location and manner in which they rest crucial for their survival. Some lepidopteran larvae and spiders rest while suspended in the air at night. Although previous studies have hypothesised that nocturnal suspended resting serves as an anti‐predator defence, this hypothesis has not yet been tested.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We found that <jats:italic>Pogonopygia nigralbata</jats:italic> larvae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae) rest on leaves of the host plant <jats:italic>Illicium anisatum</jats:italic> (Austrobaileyales: Schisandraceae) during the day but hang from leaves by a thread at night. As some predators, such as praying mantises, centipedes and tree frogs, were observed on host plants at night, the larvae might hang from leaves to avoid encounters with these predators.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>To test this hypothesis, we artificially placed model prey (i.e., live mealworms) on <jats:italic>I</jats:italic>. <jats:italic>anisatum</jats:italic> trees during the day and at night. We compared the attack rates on model prey suspended from leaves with those directly attached to the leaves. Model prey were attacked more frequently during the day than at night. Suspended models were attacked less frequently than those attached leaves at night. A mealworm attached to a leaf was also consumed by a centipede at night. Additionally, centipedes were found more frequently on the host plant <jats:italic>I</jats:italic>. <jats:italic>anisatum</jats:italic> at night than during the day. Furthermore, our laboratory experiments showed that <jats:italic>P</jats:italic>. <jats:italic>nigralbata</jats:italic> larvae were frequently consumed by praying mantises and centipedes.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results suggest that the nocturnal suspended resting of <jats:italic>P</jats:italic>. <jats:italic>nigralbata</jats:italic> larvae plays a crucial role in evading nocturnal predators, such as praying mantises and centipedes.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142265966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High plasticity in diapause responses benefits bark beetles in a changing climate","authors":"Sven Hofmann, Markus Kautz, Martin Schebeck","doi":"10.1111/een.13378","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13378","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Numerous insects evolved diapause to cope with seasonally re‐occurring adverse conditions, affecting multiple life‐history traits, including reproduction, survival and voltinism. The spruce bark beetle <jats:italic>Ips typographus—</jats:italic>a major disturbance agent in spruce‐dominated forests of Eurasia—enters reproductive diapause to survive harsh winters. Induction of facultative diapause is mainly regulated by short daylengths, but modified by warm temperatures, potentially postponing entry into diapause. Knowledge on the interplay of these cues under natural conditions is still lacking despite its importance for phenology and management in a changing climate.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We conducted a comprehensive field study over 3 years along an elevational gradient in South‐West Germany to quantify diapause expression in <jats:italic>I. typographus</jats:italic> under a broad range of natural photoperiod and temperature conditions.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Most individuals entered diapause in mid‐August (daylengths <14 h), regardless of temperature. However, some individuals still reproduced at warm temperatures (>22–26°C) in late October (daylengths ~10 h), even following cold nights below 5°C. However, <jats:italic>fecundity</jats:italic> of these late‐breeding individuals was reduced.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In comparison to previous findings, we revealed a later diapause induction in <jats:italic>I. typographus</jats:italic> due to warm temperatures. Within‐population variability in the timing of diapause induction is an effective strategy to increase the amount of late‐breeding individuals and thus voltinism in a warming climate. Bark beetle phenology models should hence (i) include temperature as diapause‐modifying cue in addition to photoperiod and (ii) consider potential differences between populations from diverse geographic origins.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142265970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrea Marina Alma, Andres Arenas, Patrica Carina Fernandez, Micaela Buteler
{"title":"The refuse dump provides information that influences the foraging preferences of leaf‐cutting ants","authors":"Andrea Marina Alma, Andres Arenas, Patrica Carina Fernandez, Micaela Buteler","doi":"10.1111/een.13380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13380","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>The ability to respond to local stimuli individually and propagate information among colony members has allowed social organisms to generate collective responses. Leaf‐cutting ants are an excellent model to study this because, apart from exchanging information among groups assigned to different tasks (foragers, gardeners, and midden workers—ants working in refuse dumps), they also do so with their symbiotic fungus.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Here, we tested the role of refuse dumps as an information centre influencing the foraging decisions of <jats:italic>Acromyrmex lobicornis</jats:italic> under field conditions. To simulate the presence of discarded resources, oat flakes were added to the refuse dumps of treated colonies, while the refuse dumps of controls remained untreated. After 24 h and for 6 weeks, we offered new clean oat flakes on the foraging trails simultaneously with cornflakes, another palatable resource that was never experienced by the ants on the dump.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Although the oat flakes were suitable for the ants and harmless to the fungus, the acceptance index—a ratio of oat flakes foraged to total oat and cornflakes offered—decreased by 55% 24 h after the ants interacted with oat flakes in the refuse dump. After 6 weeks, the acceptance index recovered to levels that did not differ from initial values.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Therefore, ants might use waste to obtain information about the suitability of resources found in foraging trails. We explore potential mechanisms underlying the transmission of information from refuse dumps to foraging trails, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of collective decision‐making in social insect colonies.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142204755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Flávio Camarota, Arleu B. Viana‐Junior, Diogo M. Vidal, Paulo H. G. Zarbin, Frederico S. Neves
{"title":"Changes in the cuticular profile but not aggression of termites along a tropical elevation gradient","authors":"Flávio Camarota, Arleu B. Viana‐Junior, Diogo M. Vidal, Paulo H. G. Zarbin, Frederico S. Neves","doi":"10.1111/een.13379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13379","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Communication is critical for social insects and largely mediated by cuticular hydrocarbon compounds (CHCs). The CHCs are diverse and involved in different functions, including nestmate recognition, and protection against desiccation. Their production is costly and context‐dependent, and organisms must prioritise those necessary for survival and fitness in a given habitat. While environmental and abiotic factors are key determinants of the CHCs' profile, we still know little about the effects of elevation in CHC composition in tropical mountain social insects.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We investigated the role of elevation on the abundance and composition of CHCs in the termite species <jats:italic>Nasutitermes coxipoensis</jats:italic>, a widespread termite species in Brazil. We studied the populations of <jats:italic>N. coxipoensis</jats:italic> in the largest Brazilian mountain range.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Besides assessing the differences in CHC composition, we conducted behavioural assays to test the recognition ability of different colonies within the elevational gradient.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We found an effect of elevation in the chemical profile of CHCs in <jats:italic>N. coxipoensis</jats:italic>, with an increased abundance of <jats:italic>n</jats:italic>‐alkanes and dimethyl‐alkanes with increasing elevation. When evaluating the effect of elevation on the dissimilarity of CHC compounds, we observed that <jats:italic>n</jats:italic>‐alkanes and dimethyl alkanes were affected differently, but in general, compounds increased their dissimilarity with elevational distance.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Finally, changes in CHC profiles did not affect aggression between neighbouring colonies along the elevation gradient.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results indicate that environmental factors play a limited role in shaping termite chemical profiles along a tropical elevation gradient, with no influence on aggression between neighbouring colonies from distinct elevations.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142204757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ecology of fear: ontogeny‐mediated non‐consumptive effects in a parasite–host system","authors":"Lisa R. MacLeod, Lien T. Luong","doi":"10.1111/een.13381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13381","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Non‐consumptive effects (NCEs) arise in the presence of parasites even when infection does not occur and can include changes to host behaviour, physiology or morphology. Using the <jats:italic>Drosophila nigrospiracula—Macrocheles subbadius</jats:italic> fly‐mite system, we investigated the impact of parasite exposure (<jats:italic>sans</jats:italic> infection) during the pupal and adult pre‐reproductive stages.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>First, we exposed fly pupae to mites—either indirectly (caged mites) or directly (free‐roaming mites) to test the effects of parasite exposure on pupation success. Second, we tested how exposing adult female flies to mites prior to reproduction affects fecundity during the post‐exposure reproductive period.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We found that direct exposure to mites significantly decreased the rate of successful eclosion (development from pupa to adult) compared with unexposed pupae; however, the duration of pupation was not significantly affected. The indirect exposure did not have a significant effect on either successful eclosion or duration of pupation. We also found that indirectly exposed (caged mites) females had a significant decrease in the number of offspring produced, but only for the first few days post eclosion, suggesting the effect was reversible after mite removal.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>NCEs arise after mite exposure during the pupal and pre‐reproductive life stage of <jats:italic>Drosophila</jats:italic>, in the form of decreased eclosion success and fecundity. Investigating the NCEs associated with parasite exposure at various life stages of the host is important in understanding the ecology of fear and its total impact on hosts throughout their entire lifespan, with consequences for host ontogeny and population growth.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142204756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Host egg volatiles are involved in brood parasitism in predatory mites","authors":"Yasuyuki Choh, Arne Janssen","doi":"10.1111/een.13376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13376","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Recently, we reported brood parasitism in the tiny predatory mite <jats:italic>Neoseiulus californicus</jats:italic> (Acari: Phytoseiidae); adult females of this species prefer to add their eggs to a cluster of eggs of another predatory mite species, <jats:italic>Gynaeseius liturivorus</jats:italic> (Acari: Phytoseiidae), which guards its own eggs against egg predators.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Here, we investigated the cues used by the blind <jats:italic>N. californicus</jats:italic> to detect eggs of <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic>.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We show that <jats:italic>N. californicus</jats:italic> locates oviposition sites of <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic> using volatiles emanating from eggs of the latter species.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Adult female <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic> spent more time guarding oviposition sites that contain more eggs, which resulted in a higher per capita survival of the eggs. We therefore hypothesized that <jats:italic>N. californicus</jats:italic> would prefer oviposition sites with more <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic> eggs.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Indeed, <jats:italic>N. californicus</jats:italic> preferably laid their egg at oviposition sites containing more than six <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic> eggs, which corresponds to the average number laid by a female <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic> during 1 day.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results suggest that <jats:italic>N. californicus</jats:italic> uses egg volatiles to localize oviposition sites of <jats:italic>G. liturivorus</jats:italic>, where the eggs of the former are effectively protected against egg predators.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142204758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pollinator visitation decline due to pesticide application beyond threshold frequency brings down crop yield","authors":"Manobrata Das, Ayan Paul, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Parthiba Basu","doi":"10.1111/een.13375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13375","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>The deleterious effects of pesticides on pollinating insect abundance are well established but the relationship among pesticide application, pollinator decline and the corresponding change in marketable yield is not fully understood.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In this study, we assessed what level of pesticide exposure causes maximum pollinator loss and at that level of pollinator loss if there is any crop yield loss.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We primarily assessed pollinator crop flower visitation in 27 aubergine farms with different degrees of pesticide application. Subsequently, we also observed pollinator activity and aubergine yield (fruit set) in a semi‐controlled field experiment with four different pesticide treatments.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Pesticide application frequency was the most important driver of pollinator visitation compared with quantity. Pesticide spray above once a week caused a drastic drop in pollinator visitation in a non‐linear fashion showing a threshold of pesticide application.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In high pesticide frequency experimental plots, pollinator visitation was significantly lower than in control, low and medium frequency plots. This resulted in lowering of aubergine fruit set by 27.4% in high pesticide frequency plots. Use of synthetic pesticides to safeguard yield seems to be doing just the opposite by bringing down yield from pesticide‐induced pollinator limitation.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":50557,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Entomology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142204759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}