Some current approaches to the evolution of plant–herbivore interactions

摘要: ‘Coevolution’ between plants and herbivorous arthropods has several meanings: cospeciation, reciprocal adaptation, a history of ‘escape-and-radiation’. Few well documented examples each are known. Most evolutionary research on insect-plant interactions concerns the adaptations insects to or insects, but little it expressly addresses adaptation. Modern phylogenetic confirms that host associations in many clades specialized evolutionarily conservative. An example from leaf beetles (Ophraella) is presented, which historical conservatism shifts mirrored by patterns paucity genetic variation ability use novel hosts. In species Ophraella, was more often discerned responses closely related insect’s normal plant than distantly plants. Thus availability might bias evolution shifts, account for pattern. The difficult problem showing chemical other resistance features evolved their defensive function slowly yielding investigation. One difficulty most insect herbivores thought be usually too rare impose appreciable selection. Insects collectively could exert quite strong selection characters if these have genetically correlated effects across (i.e., were ‘diffuse’). Surprisingly, available evidence does not suggest pervasive correlations common. I conclude more, multidisciplinary, needed understand defense.