Multiple choice of Aphalara itadori for oviposition among three knotweed species

Intraspecific hybridization between distinct populations could increase fitness and adaptive potential of biological control agents that often have low genetic diversity and can be inbred due to long-term laboratory rearing often at small population sizes. Hybridization can also alter host preference and performance when the parental insect populations are adapted to different host plants. We investigated the effects of hybridization between two populations (Northern and Southern) of the psyllid, Aphalara itadori, that have different fitness on three invasive knotweed species (Japanese, giant, and Bohemian). Fecundity, host choice, and developmental success of second-generation reciprocal hybrids and the parental psyllid populations were compared on the three knotweed species in multiple choice tests. Hybridization did not increase fecundity. All three knotweed species were accepted for oviposition without preference by the Southern and the two hybrid psyllid populations. The northern p..., Data were collected in a laboratory/greenhouse experiment using potted plants that were caged in mesh cages. Plants were kept at ambient temperatures., , # Multiple choice cage experiment

Give a brief summary of dataset contents, contextualized in experimental procedures and results.

## Description of the data and file structure

| Strain | refers to the four different populations of Aphalara itadori used in the experiments. The two parental strains are Kyushu and Hok (Hokkaido), and their reciprocal hybrids are FemKYU and FemHok with the names indicated where the female originated in the crosses. |
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| Cage | in each cage there were 3 different knotweed plants ...