A study on mutualism relationships between Leptocoris augur and Cardiospermum halicabum

• Main Authors: Tzu-chin Lin, 林子欽
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/80303974737917662962

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 環境生態研究所碩士班 === 99 === Heartseed vine plant（Cardiospermum halicabum） has a hard seed coat to prevent the insect attack, and causing low germination rate. After feeding by small red stinkbugs（Leptocoris augur）, the seed germination rate of heartseed vine was 2.64-4.32 fold increased compared to the control group. With the increasing water permeability of the testa, it also raised the germination rate of the seeds. The feeding of small stinkbugs has the same effect with man-made injury. The seed of heartseed vine provides a specific food source for small red stinkbugs. Meanwhile, after the fed by small red stinkbugs, it leads a significant increase on seed germination rate of heartseed vine. This indicates a mutualism relationship was developed between small red stinkbugs and heartseed vine. Both small red stinkbugs and red stinkbugs (Leptocoris abdominalis), belonged to Rhopalidae, are attacking seed of Sapindaceae（Koelreuteria tree and heartseed vine）. Koelreuteria tree (Koelreuteria elegans) mature pods split the consequences, but heartseed vine are pod-coated,Stinkbug feeding a certain length of time required to sucking mouthparts into the seed. Compared by measuring the mouthparts length of two different stinkbugs, small red stinkbugs significantly greater than red stinkbugs, but body length red stinkbugs are significantly greater than small red stinkbugs. However, the two different seed feeding Rhopalidae bugs mouthparts length and length are not significant. These differences may be caused by food. Currently observed small red stinkbugs have been lying on the ground and in the living Heartseed vine lying on the ground between the tree and Koelreuteria elegans two kinds of movement of life, long-winged type with short wings and a combination of patterns, environmental factors, natural selection role to an evolutionary stable strategy.