The observed feeding preference of Cantareus aspersus (ex-Helix aspersa) (brown garden snail) between different plant species

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dc.contributor.advisorEngelberth, Jurgen
dc.contributor.authorValdez, Jessica
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSponsel, Valerie M.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberVan Auken, Oscar
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-08T15:58:01Z
dc.date.available2024-03-08T15:58:01Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.descriptionThis item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.
dc.description.abstractPlants have developed many different mechanisms to defend themselves against natural enemies. Defense mechanisms can be structural and/or chemical and can be either inducible or constitutive. The phytohormone jasmonic acid plays an important role in the regulation of inducible plant defense responses in herbivory. The gastropod Cantareus aspersus (ex-Helix aspersa), or more commonly known as the brown garden snail, is a generalist herbivore and will consume almost any plant. Cantareus aspersus can cause excessive damage feeding on leaves, fruit and young tree bark and is a pest in California and Florida. The brown garden snail is not known to be deterred in feeding behavior by specific secondary metabolites, and currently the most effective pesticide used for snails contains an active an ingredient that is not permitted in US food crops. The biology of the snail has been studied, but not much is known as to their feeding preference with plants in their natural state. In this study we used Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli), Brassica rapa L. (chinese cabbage), Triticum aestivum L. (winter wheat), Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) and Arabidopsis thaliana to determine the feeding preference of C. aspersus. More specifically, we used Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia (Col), Landsberg erecta (L er), Wassilewskija (Ws), Arabidopsis thaliana 12-oxophytodienoate reductase 3 (opr3) mutant (background Ws), the ethylene resistant (etr1 ) mutant (background Col), and transport inhibitor response (tir3) mutant (background Col). Observational and juvenile weight gain studies were performed with snails being given a choice between different plant species or types. Additionally, jasmonic acid (JA)-treated plants were tested against an untreated control of the same species. Observations of the feeding preference assays with C. aspersus determined that there was no difference in feeding preference when given a choice between JA-treated and control plants, possibly due to plants responding to neighboring plant volatiles. Observations of the feeding preference assays determined C. aspersus preferred alfalfa> chinese cabbage> broccoli= wheat possibly due to varying glucosinolates levels between these plants. Observations also determined that C. aspersus preferred to consume opr3> Ws> Ler> Col> etr1> tir3. However the weight gain studies indicated that there was no significant difference when compared with each respective wild-type, possibly due to small sampling size and the small number of trials. The combination of Arabidopsis thaliana and a juvenile weight study seems to be a good indicator for C. aspersus feeding preference. Further research is necessary to characterize what secondary metabolites and defense mechanisms snails find attractive or unattractive.
dc.description.departmentEarth and Environmental Science
dc.format.extent75 pages
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.isbn9781267344250
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/5820
dc.languageen
dc.subjectArabidopsis thaliana
dc.subjectBrown Garden Snail
dc.subjectFeeding Preference
dc.subjectGlucosinolate
dc.subjectJasmonic Acid
dc.subjectPlant Defense
dc.subject.classificationEcology
dc.subject.classificationBotany
dc.subject.classificationBehavioral psychology
dc.titleThe observed feeding preference of Cantareus aspersus (ex-Helix aspersa) (brown garden snail) between different plant species
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.accessRightspq_closed
thesis.degree.departmentEarth and Environmental Science
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science

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