Native birds exploit leaf-mining moth larvae using a new North American host, non-native Lonicera maackii

ABSTRACT

I document observations of birds feeding on the larvae of the leaf-mining moth Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella (Gracillariidae) in Michigan, USA. The larvae were feeding on Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii (Caprifoliaceae), a non-native plant that has not been documented as a host for any species of Gracillariidae in North America, and which has few records of use by invertebrate herbivores anywhere in its range. Most bird observations were of chickadees (Paridae), which have been previously recorded feeding on leaf-mining insects. Observations also include three species of warblers (Parulidae) and one kinglet (Regulidae), which represent the first documentation of these families feeding on leaf-mining moth larvae. I describe this novel multitrophic interaction between a non-native plant, a native insect, and native vertebrate predators, and discuss the potential spread of the moth in North America, its use as a food source by birds, and the ecological implications.

RÉSUMÉ

Je documente des observations d’oiseaux s’alimentant de larves de la mite mineuse de feuilles Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella (Gracillariidae) au Michigan, USA. Les larves s’alimentaient de chèvrefeuille de Maack, Lonicera maackii (Caprifoliaceae), une espèce de plante non-indigène qui n’avait jusqu’à maintenant pas été documentée comme hôte d’espèces de Gracillariidae en Amérique du Nord, et pour laquelle seulement quelques mentions d’utilisation par des herbivores invertébrés ont été documentées dans toute son aire de répartition. La plupart des oiseaux que j’ai observés étaient des mésanges (Paridae), déjà connues pour se nourrir d’insectes mineurs de feuilles. Mes observations incluent également 3 espèces de parulines (Parulidae) et une de roitelet (Regulidae). Il s’agit de la première documentation de ces familles s’alimentant de larves de mites mineuses de feuilles. Je décris cette nouvelle interaction multitrophique entre une plante non-indigène, un insecte indigène et des prédateurs vertébrés indigènes. Je discute également de la propagation potentielle de la mite en Amérique du Nord, de son utilisation par les oiseaux comme source d’alimentation et des implications écologiques.

KEYWORDS:

• Phyllonorycter
• Lonicera
• avian foraging
• novel resources
• introduced species
• leaf-miners

MOTS CLÉS:

• Phyllonorycter
• Lonicera
• alimentation aviaire
• nouvelles ressources
• espèces introduites
• insectes mineurs de feuilles

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Charley Eiseman for initial identification of the moth and sparking my interest in studying this insect, and Camiel Doorenweerd for DNA barcoding and specimen help. Don Davis, Jose Fernandez-Triana, Mark O’Brien, and Ron Priest assisted in locating vouchers and host plant data. Samer T.G. Harb, Christian Dietzen, and Nagham Mehdi provided foreign language translations. Two anonymous reviews, including Peer 1803 at the Peerage of Science, provided many useful comments. Vouchers of Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella have been deposited in the the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands (RMNH.5013761, genitalia slide CDGP0277, RMNH.5013762, genitalia slide CDGP0278, prepared by Camiel Doorenweerd), and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Insect Collection, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA (accession number JAC2016-2: six larvae and pupae, catalog number UMMZI-00266014; nine adults, catalog numbers UMMZI-00303050-58, prepared by Mark O’Brien). DNA sequences are in the Barcode of Life database (BOLD).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Michigan-Dearborn and individual donors to the Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn. None of the funding entities had input on manuscript content, nor was their approval required before submission.