Document Type
Article
Abstract
Leptoglossus phyllopus is a polyphagous pest that primarily feasts on citrus, tomatoes, and legumes. They must form a mutualistic symbiosis with Caballeronia every generation by ingesting the bacterium from their environment. However, not all species of Caballeronia confer the same fitness on the L. phyllopus host, raising the question of whether L. phyllopus possesses a partner choice mechanism that would allow it to distinguish between a good (GAOX1) and a suboptimal (Lep1P3) symbiosis partner. This was examined by conducting a choice experiment in which the two symbionts (GAOX1 vs. Lep1P3) were placed in a plastic box, and the bug’s roaming behavior was monitored for 24 hours. There was no significance between strain or time and drinking behavior. However, strain identity affected spatial preference, as nymphs were more likely to visit the Lep1P3 sample than the GAOX1 sample.
Disciplines
Biology | Entomology | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology
Publication Date
Spring 5-6-2026
Language
English
Faculty Mentor of Honors Project
Alison Ravenscraft
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Pham, Irene L., "Acquisition Behavior Response: Investigating the Ability of Leptoglossus phyllopus to Choose Between A “Good” Versus “Sub-Optimal” Strain of Caballeronia" (2026). 2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects. 12.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/honors_spring2026/12
Included in
Biology Commons, Entomology Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons