Tit Predation on the Holly Leaf-Miner: The Effect of Prickly Leaves

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Abstract
The hypothesis was tested that predation by tits, particularly blue tits Parus caeruleus L., on larvae of the holly leaf-miner Phytomyza ilicis Curtis (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and the abundance of the leaf-miner, are influenced by the number of prickles on leaves of the host-plant, holly, Ilex spp. No relationship was found between the number of prickles on holly leaves and the intensity of attack by tits, nor any relationship between leaf prickliness and abundance of P. ilicis.