The stability and complexity of communities depend on an intricate network of interactions within ecosystems. Trophic food webs demonstrate interactions between producers and consumers at various levels in ecological ecosystems. A significant part of terrestrial biodiversity is plants, phytophagous insects, and their natural enemies, such as parasitoids and predators. Despite being a significant presence in terrestrial insect communities, the roles and diversity of parasitoids are not well known due to limited research on tri-trophic interactions, particularly in the tropics. In this study, I will identify and contrast plant-herbivore-parasitoid food webs within the Rutaceae family of plants across wild and cultivated environments.
Chapter 1 focuses on collecting and identifying lepidopteran herbivores (butterflies and moths) and their parasitoids on Rutaceae across multiple study sites. To determine the trophic interactions, insects must be collected during all seasons and parasitoids reared from hosts collected at all immature life stages. This chapter will also determine the life histories of each parasitoid.
In Chapter 2, I will construct and analyse the food webs on Rutaceae, from their wild native setting and under varying management practices. This will show the difference in species interaction between wild and cultivated Rutaceae, as well as the effect of agricultural practices on trophic interactions. This chapter will also identify the diet range of each consumer.
Chapters 3 and 4 are focused on experimental studies to identify the contributions of selected biotic interactions in shaping the food webs from the different sites. Chapter 3 addresses food preferences and performance of the butterflies and parasitoids. Chapter 4 addresses the impact of ant predation of the lepidoptera in the food webs.
Chapter 5 is on the application of this study to Butterfly Parks. I will develop guidelines for managing butterfly rearing at the Bannerghatta Butterfly Park and create displays about the diversity of insects on Rutaceae plants, trophic interactions amongst them in the Butterfly Park, and parasitoid natural history.
These research questions offer an integrated approach of both ecology and agriculture to understand the trophic interactions occurring in the Rutaceae plant family under a range of ecological conditions.