Solidago altissima genotypic variation among and within populations affects Corythucha marmorata herbivory under various drought conditions

Abstract

A variety of ecological and evolutionary factors contribute to the resistance of the tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima, to herbivory by the chrysanthemum lace bug, Corythucha marmorata. These factors include genetic variation due to geographic origin, genetic variation within a population, and drought stress. We established a common garden in Duluth, MN of tall goldenrod collected from several US and Japanese sites to analyze the effects of plant genotypic variation among and within geographic sites, and the effect of drought on the tall goldenrod-lace bug relationship. We found variation in lace bug performance on, and preference for, genotypes of different geographic origins and genotypes within populations. We also found that the interaction between genotype and drought changed the performance and preference of lace bugs on tall goldenrod.