@article{TEXTUAL,
      recid = {13848},
      author = {Alexandre, Nicolas M. and Humphrey, Parris T. and Gloss,  Andrew D. and Lee, Jimmy and Frazier, Joseph and Affeldt  III, Henry A. and Whiteman, Noah K.},
      title = {Habitat preference of an herbivore shapes the habitat  distribution of its host plant},
      journal = {Ecosphere},
      address = {2018-09-13},
      number = {TEXTUAL},
      abstract = {Plant distributions can be limited by habitat-biased  herbivory, but the proximate causes of such biases are  rarely known. Distinguishing plant-centric from  herbivore-centric mechanisms driving differential herbivory  between habitats is difficult without experimental  manipulation of both plants and herbivores. Here, we tested  alternative hypotheses driving habitat-biased herbivory in  bittercress (Cardamine cordifolia), which is more abundant  under the shade of shrubs and trees (shade) than in nearby  meadows (sun) where herbivory is intense from the  specialist fly Scaptomyza nigrita. This system has served  as a textbook example of habitat-biased herbivory driving a  plant's distribution across an ecotone, but the proximate  mechanisms underlying differential herbivory are still  unclear. First, we found that higher S. nigrita herbivory  in sun habitats contrasts sharply with their preference to  attack plants from shade habitats in laboratory-choice  experiments. Second, S. nigrita strongly preferred leaves  in simulated sun over simulated shade habitats, regardless  of plant source habitat. Thus, herbivore preference for  brighter, warmer habitats overrides their preference for  more palatable shade plants. This promotes the sun-biased  herbivore pressure that drives the distribution of  bittercress into shade habitats.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/13848},
}