Abstract
Plant-herbivore interaction networks provide information about community organization. Two methods are currently used to document pairwise interactions among plants and insect herbivores. One is the traditional method that collects plant-herbivore interaction data by field observation of insect occurrence on host plants. The other is the increasing application of newly developed molecular techniques based on DNA barcodes to the analysis of gut contents. The second method is more appealing because it documents realized interactions. To construct complete interaction networks, each technique of network construction is urgent to be assessed. We addressed this question by comparing the effectiveness and reliability of the two methods in constructing plant-Lepidoptera larval network in a 50 ha subtropical forest in China. Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants. In contrast, the molecular method using three plant DNA markers were able to identify food residues for 35.6% larvae and correctly resolved 77.3% plant (diet) species. Network analysis showed molecular networks had threefold more unique host plant species but fewer links than the traditional networks had. The molecular method detected plants that were not sampled by the traditional method, for example, bamboos, bryophytes and lianas in the diets of insect herbivores. The two networks also possessed significantly different structural properties. Our study indicates the traditional observation of co-occurrence is inadequate, while molecular method can provide higher species resolution of ecological interactions.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Accuracy of diet identification by the observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants.
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
Claim · model-written summary
The molecular method identified food residues for 35.6% of larvae.
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
e2“the molecular method using three plant DNA markers were able to identify food residues for 35.6% larvae and correctly resolved 77.3% plant (diet) species”
Claim · model-written summary
The molecular method correctly resolved 77.3% of plant (diet) species.
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
e2“the molecular method using three plant DNA markers were able to identify food residues for 35.6% larvae and correctly resolved 77.3% plant (diet) species”
Claim · model-written summary
Molecular networks had threefold more unique host plant species than traditional networks.
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
e3“Network analysis showed molecular networks had threefold more unique host plant species but fewer links than the traditional networks had”
Claim · model-written summary
Molecular networks had fewer links than traditional networks.
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
e3“Network analysis showed molecular networks had threefold more unique host plant species but fewer links than the traditional networks had”
Claim · model-written summary
The molecular method detected plants, including bamboos, bryophytes and lianas, that the traditional method did not sample in insect herbivore diets.
Verbatim
e4“The molecular method detected plants that were not sampled by the traditional method, for example, bamboos, bryophytes and lianas in the diets of insect herbivores”
Claim · model-written summary
The molecular and traditional networks had significantly different structural properties.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
e5“The two networks also possessed significantly different structural properties”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that the traditional co-occurrence observation is inadequate and that the molecular method gives higher species resolution of ecological interactions.
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed that the accuracy of diet identification by observation method increased with the number of observed insect occurrences on food plants”
e6“Our study indicates the traditional observation of co-occurrence is inadequate, while molecular method can provide higher species resolution of ecological interactions”