Response to Comment on "Why Are There So Many Species of Herbivorous Insects in Tropical Rainforests?"
Vojtech Novotny,1*
Pavel Drozd,2
Scott E. Miller,3
Miroslav Kulfan,4
Milan Janda,1
Yves Basset,5
George D. Weiblen6
Norton and Didham suggest that differences in plant abundance
between tropical and temperate forests may influence the host
specificity of herbivores in these forests. We agree in principle
but show that this is likely only for very rare plant species
in tropical forests. Studies of herbivores hosted by rare plant
species would help our understanding of tropical plant-insect
interactions.
2 Department of Biology, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
3 Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013–7012, USA.
4 Department of Zoology, Comenius University, Mlynska dolina B-1, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.
5 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama.
6 Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, 220 Biological Sciences Center, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108–1095, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: novotny{at}entu.cas.cz
