My study focuses on how photosynthetic pathway in plants influences the fitness of herbivorous insects of different guilds. Specifically, I compare the possible effect of feeding on C4 vs. C3 Suaeda species (Chenopodiaceae) on fitness measures of polyphaous chewing and sucking insects compared to specialized gall inducers.

 

The occurrence in Israel of several Suaeda species, some of which sympatrically, allows direct comparison between C4 and C3 species via field and greenhouse experiments. Because C4 plants are better adapted to- and more vigorous in hot and dry conditions than C3 plants, we hypothesize that they will increase fitness measures of specialized insects that feed on them under such conditions, as predicted by the plant vigor hypothesis (PVH). The aim of my study is to find whether the same will be true for non-specialized insects of other feeding guilds.