EFFECTS OF ELEVATED CO2 ON THE CHRYSANTHEMUM LEAFMINER, CHROMATOMYIA-SYNGENESIAE - A GREENHOUSE STUDY

Although feeding behaviour of Chromatomyia syngenesiae on plants grown in elevated CO2 (ambient + 200ppm) was unaffected, leaf-miner develop ment was slower in elevated compared to ambient CO2 atmospheres. Pupal weight was lower at high CO2 and correlated with the area of leaf min ed; no such correlation existed in ambient CO2. There appears to be no compensatory feeding by the leaf-miner for the reduced food quality o f plants growing in elevated CO2. The implications of these findings a re discussed.