Date of Award

5-1-1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

Abstract

A comparison was made of the distribution of six galling insects on varying-sized shoots and different ages of their host plant, Salix humilis. Survivorship of the most numerous galler, Iteyomia salicifolia, was used to determine if host use patterns were correlated with galler success. In northern Minnesota, all six gallers were non-randomly distributed among shoots of different length; each occurred at greater numbers than expected on the longest shoots. Two of the six gallers were at higher densities on juvenile ramets of S. humilis, than on mature ones. Densities did not vary between juvenile and mature clones.

A comparison was made of the distribution of six galling insects on varying-sized shoots and different ages of their host plant, Salix humilis. Survivorship of the most numerous galler, Iteyomia salicifolia, was used to determine if host use patterns were correlated with galler success. In northern Minnesota, all six gallers were non-randomly distributed among shoots of different length; each occurred at greater numbers than expected on the longest shoots. Two of the six gallers were at higher densities on juvenile ramets of S. humilis, than on mature ones. Densities did not vary between juvenile and mature clones.

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