Fertilization reduces aphid performance but does not alter competitive exclusion between specialist and generalist species

Abstract

Understanding how resource availability shapes herbivore competitive interactions is crucial for predicting pest dynamics under changing agricultural practices. Interspecific competition among herbivorous insects is mediated by host plant quality, yet mechanisms underlying competitive outcomes under varying nutrient conditions remain unclear. We investigated how fertilization affects population dynamics and competitive interactions between the legume-specialist Megoura crassicauda and the generalist Aphis craccivora on pea shoots (Pisum sativum) under fertilized and unfertilized conditions. Aphid population dynamics were monitored for 30 days in single-species and mixed-species treatments, and plant survival and biomass changes were assessed. Unexpectedly, fertilization reduced aphid population growth in both species, challenging conventional assumptions about nutrient effects on herbivores. Fertilization significantly affected M. crassicauda population growth but not that of A. craccivora. In mixed treatments, A. craccivora consistently excluded M. crassicauda by day 25, regardless of nutrient status. Plant mortality occurred in all aphid treatments except M. crassicauda under fertilized conditions. Our findings demonstrate that nutrient enrichment reduced herbivore performance but did not alleviate interspecific competition. The consistent competitive dominance of the generalist suggests that intrinsic species traits, rather than resource availability, determine competitive hierarchies. These findings have implications for pest management under changing agricultural practices.