Abstract:
There is a vast literature on the relationships between gall abundance and host plant traits as size, shoot length and growth. But gall presence is usually incorporated in abundance patterns. We analyzed the effects of host plant architectural and vigor characteristics on gall presence and abundance in a Rosa canina and Diplolepis rosae host plant - herbivore system.
We found that only the rose bush width showed a signifcant relationship with gall presence while vigor characteristics showed no signifcant effects on gall presence. Gall’s abundance was not affected neither by architectural or vigor characteristics. Our results are partially supporting literature data. However, there is a substantial flexibility in effect directions between plant architectural or vigor characteristics and gall inducer abundance in the literature. Our results underline that the plant architecture may be an
important plant characteristic in shaping the host plant - gall inducer relationships, while plant vigor may be a secondary one in the case of dog rose – bedeguar gall model system. No studies were addressed from this point of view to this common galling system.
