title: The impact of plant enemies shows a phylogenetic signal.
abstract: The host ranges of plant pathogens and herbivores are phylogenetically constrained, so that closely related plant species are more likely to share pests and pathogens. Here we conducted a reanalysis of data from published experimental studies to test whether the severity of host-enemy interactions follows a similar phylogenetic signal. The impact of herbivores and pathogens on their host plants declined steadily with phylogenetic distance from the most severely affected focal hosts. The steepness of this phylogenetic signal was similar to that previously measured for binary-response host ranges. Enemy behavior and development showed similar, but weaker phylogenetic signal, with oviposition and growth rates declining with evolutionary distance from optimal hosts. Phylogenetic distance is an informative surrogate for estimating the likely impacts of a pest or pathogen on potential plant hosts, and may be particularly useful in early assessing risk from emergent plant pests, where critical decisions must be made with incomplete host records.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama.
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrated Pest Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magarey
mesh_terms: D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012044:Regression Analysis