Effects of elevated CO₂ on the chrysanthemum leaf‐miner, Chromatomyia syngenesiae: a greenhouse study

Although feeding behaviour of Chromatomyia syngenesiae on plants grown in elevated CO 2 (ambient + 200ppm) was unaffected, leaf‐miner development was slower in elevated compared to ambient CO 2 atmospheres. Pupal weight was lower at high CO 2 and correlated with the area of leaf mined; no such correlation existed in ambient CO 2 . There appears to be no compensatory feeding by the leaf‐miner for the reduced food quality of plants growing in elevated CO 2 . The implications of these findings are discussed.