斑点灯笼蝇可能会使用“毒盾”来抵御鸟类捕食者

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Spotted lanternflies may season themselves to the distaste of potential bird predators, according to a new study led by entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

The findings, which were published this week (Oct. 23) in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, showed that several species of birds were less likely to eat spotted lanternflies that had fed on the pest’s preferred host, Ailanthus altissima, commonly known as tree of heaven. This suggests the pest stores nasty-tasting chemicals when they feed on the invasive plant that birds can detect, according to the research team.

Further, they said, the extent to which birds may play a role in pecking away at spotted lanternfly populations remains up in the air and depends on various factors.

Led by postdoctoral researcher Anne Johnson, the team investigated whether birds could serve as natural predators of the spotted lanternfly. This Asian planthopper causes damage to vineyards, orchards and the nursery industry.

The entomologists theorized that when the spotted lanternfly feeds on the plant, it stores toxic chemicals called quassinoids, which make the insect less appetizing to birds. These compounds are bitter and have a pungent smell to mammals;目前尚不清楚鸟类是否存在这种情况。

“Like the spotted lanternfly, tree of heaven is an invasive species that originated in the same region of Asia as the insect,” said Johnson, who worked on the project under the guidance of co-author Kelli Hoover, professor of entomology. “We found that birds, including nesting house wrens, preferred to eat spotted lanternflies that had not fed on tree of heaven, suggesting that the insects that consume this plant are less tasty, thereby providing some chemical defenses against avian predators.”

For more information on spotted lanternfly research and management strategies, visit the Penn State Extension website.