LAUSR

Stolcova J. (2009): Feeding preferences of Phyllotreta herbivores to winter rape and chosen weeds. Plant Protect. Sci., 45: 156–160. In model experiments with leaf disks from Brassica napus L. subsp. napus and thlaspi arvense L. and Sinapis arvensis L. in spring periods (May–June) of 2006–2007 feeding preferences of Phyllotreta herbivores to the above-mentioned crop and two common weeds were investigated. In seedlings of identical ontogenetic stages insignificantly higher feeding injuries were recorded in B. napus. Between the two monitored weeds insignificantly higher herbivory was found in S. arvensis compared to t. arvense. In a comparison of older crop and younger weeds and vice versa, flea beetles significantly preferred the four-leaf seedling stage to the cotyledon seedling stage irrespective of the monitored plant species. Though generally in feeding preference of flea beetles a general drift B. napus > S. arvensis > t. arvensis was recorded, the sequence of leaves also played its role under conditions of this experiment.