DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x95x69pw7
title: Non-native congeneric trees are poor-quality host plants for a larval Lepidopteran

description: In managed ecosystems, cultivated plant diversity is a collection of
 native and introduced species composed of varying plant origins across
 scales: locally native, non-locally native, and non-native. Non-local and
 non-native plant species may be ill-suited as host plants for locally
 native insects. Yet, we lack information on the population- and
 individual-level consequences of introduced plants to phytophagous
 insects. Promethea moth (Callosomia promethea) is a Lepidopteran species
 regionally specialized to Prunus in the Northeastern USA. Here, we used a
 rearing experiment to compare Promethea caterpillar performance on 14
 different Prunus host plants commonly found naturally and in horticulture
 and two non hosts. Across all measures, P. serotina supported the highest
 survival, fastest growth, and largest larval biomass. We found little
 difference between locally native and non-local Prunus across most
 measures; however, few non-native Prunus supported living larvae to the
 fifth instar, and surviving larvae had reduced growth and biomass. Our
 results indicate that non-native congeners are poor replacements for
 locally native tree species in supporting specialized Lepidoptera.
 However, non-local, regionally-native species in cultivation may serve as
 adequate, albeit suboptimal, host plants. These results further our
 understanding of how selection for plant traits or species impacts
 biodiversity in novel and managed ecosystems.
description: # Non-native congeneric trees are poor-quality host plants for a larval
 Lepidopteran Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.x95x69pw7](10.5061/dryad.x95x69pw7) ## Description of the
 data and file structure R script and data used to test relationships
 between tree species and Promethea moth survival, growth, and biomass.
 Missing data is indicated by NA. Description of the data and file
 structure File 1:growth_rate.csv - dataset for growth analyses * index:
 unique ID * ID: treatment ID (combination of female and tree ID) * Female:
 female ID * Tree: Tree species ID * Instar: latest instar recorded *
 min_age: days since hatch * CommonName: Common name of tree species *
 sciName: tree scientific name * Location: category of where tree leaves
 came from (urban, rural, or planted) * location: specific location where
 tree leaves came from * preferred_hostGenus: whether the leaves used was
 prunus or not * MA_native: whether the tree species is native to
 Massachusetts * westernMA_native: whether the tree species is native to
 western massachusetts * X: cohort ID * cultivated: whether leaves were
 collected from a cultivated (i.e., planted) individual * cultivar: whether
 this tree species is regularly in cultivation * edible: whether this tree
 species is grown for edible fruits * tip_label: the tip label from the
 phylogenetic tree * distance: phylogenetic distance from black cherry *
 tree_type: treatment category * treatment: treatment category and instar
 level File 2: promethea_analyses.rmd * R script for analyses and graphs
 File 3: survival_format_long.csv - dataset for survival analyses * index:
 unique ID * female: female ID * tree: tree ID * X3: observation 1, number
 of individuals * X4: observation 2, number of individuals * X5:
 observation 3, number of individuals * X6: observation 4, number of
 individuals * X7: observation 5, number of individuals * X8: observation
 6, number of individuals * X9: observation 7, number of individuals * X10:
 observation 8, number of individuals * X11: observation 9, number of
 individuals * X12: observation 10, number of individuals * X13:
 observation 11, number of individuals * total_days_alive: total days alive
 * fate: fate (1=alive) * X: cohort ID * CommonName: common name of tree
 species used * sciName: scientific name of tree species used * Location:
 category of where tree leaves came from (urban, rural, or planted) *
 location: specific location where tree leaves came from *
 preferred_hostGenus: whether the leaves used was prunus or not *
 MA_native: whether the tree species is native to Massachusetts *
 westernMA_native: whether the tree species is native to western
 massachusetts * cultivated: whether leaves were collected from a
 cultivated (i.e., planted) individual * hybrid cultivar: whether this tree
 species is regularly in cultivation * edible: whether this tree species is
 grown for edible fruits * tip_label: the tip label from the phylogenetic
 tree * distance: phylogenetic distance from black cherry * tree_type:
 treatment category File 4: tree_traits.csv - dataset of tree traits and
 phylogenetic distance * index: unique ID * Tree: TreeID * CommonName:
 common name of tree species used * sciName: scientific name of tree
 species used * Location: category of where tree leaves came from (urban,
 rural, or planted) * location: specific location where tree leaves came
 from * preferred_hostGenus: whether the leaves used was prunus or not *
 MA_native: whether the tree species is native to Massachusetts *
 westernMA_native: whether the tree species is native to western
 massachusetts * cultivated: whether leaves were collected from a
 cultivated (i.e., planted) individual * hybrid cultivar: whether this tree
 species is regularly in cultivation * edible: whether this tree species is
 grown for edible fruits * tip_label: the tip label from the phylogenetic
 tree * distance: phylogenetic distance from black cherry File 5:
 weight.csv - dataset of biomass weights * index: unique ID * female:
 female ID * tree: tree ID * weight_g: weight in grams * date: date weighed
 * instar: instar recorded * observer: observer initials * notes: notes *
 ID: treatment ID * hatchday: day of hatch * age: age (in days) *
 weight_g_numeric: weight in grams (numeric format) * CommonName: common
 name of tree species used * sciName: scientific name of tree species used
 * Location: category of where tree leaves came from (urban, rural, or
 planted) * location: specific location where tree leaves came from *
 preferred_hostGenus: whether the leaves used was prunus or not *
 MA_native: whether the tree species is native to Massachusetts *
 westernMA_native: whether the tree species is native to western
 massachusetts * cultivated: whether leaves were collected from a
 cultivated (i.e., planted) individual * hybrid cultivar: whether this tree
 species is regularly in cultivation * edible: whether this tree species is
 grown for edible fruits * tip_label: the tip label from the phylogenetic
 tree * distance: phylogenetic distance from black cherry * tree_type:
 treatment category ## Code/software We performed all statistical analyses
 in Program R version 4.2.2 (R Core Team 2022). ## Access information Other
 publicly accessible locations of the data: *
 [https://github.com/dnarango/CongenericPlants](https://github.com/dnarango/CongenericPlants)