Choosing a place to grow. Importance of within-plant abiotic microenvironment for Yponomeuta mahalebella

The caterpillars of Yponomeuta mahalebella Latr. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) are monophagous on Prunus mahaleb (Rosaceae) leaves. Adult females deposit eggs in batches, which determines larval gregarious behaviour. Coupled with gregarious behaviour, caterpillars spin silk tents within they will feed until pupation. Distribution of tents in the field, their effect in microenvironmental larval growth conditions and the consequences for adult body mass and survival of larvae were studied. There was a significant trend for tents to be placed with a southward orientation. Within-plant tent orientation was related to the sun-shade pattern experienced, which was the main effect determining thermal differences between the inside and the outside of the tent. These differences appeared to affect larval growth and survival, with higher survival of larvae and heavier adults emerging from tents oriented to the south-east and east, respectively.