Herbivore species identity mediates interspecific competition between plants

Herbivory is a major driver of plant communities. Most herbivores preferentially consume dominant species and slow down plant succession, but it remains unclear in which ways different herbivore species have contrasting effects on plant communities. In this study, we investigated the extent to which closely related insect herbivores with slight differences in their feeding behaviour induce contrasting reactions in plant communities. We studied the impact of herbivory by two Gomphocerinae grasshopper species, Chorthippus scalaris and Euthystira brachyptera, on the outcome of competition between the plant species Dactylis glomerata and Festuca paniculata. Under a controlled choice experiment, C. scalaris preferentially consumed D. glomerata while E. brachyptera preferred F. paniculata, but in an experimental plant community (mesocosm) both species consumed the plant species proportionally to their abundance and the amount of herbivory marks detected on the leaves did not depend on the specific grasshopper species. The herbivory pressure of both grasshopper species significantly reduced the vegetative height and the number of tillers of F. paniculata, with C. scalaris showing a stronger effect. As a consequence, herbivory by E. brachyptera did not significantly affect interspecific plant competition, whereas C. scalaris enhanced the dominance of D. glomerata. Our study shows that closely related herbivores that only slightly differ in their feeding behaviour can induce contrasting effects on interspecific plant competition, and that the dominant species D. glomerata is more tolerant to herbivory than F. paniculata. The specific plant and herbivore traits responsible for contrasting herbivory effects on plant competition remains to be explored.