UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Initial analysis of fern–insect herbivore interactions first appeared in the 1970s–1980s. The ferns were actually the primary food supply for the herbivorous sauropods during the Mesozoic epoch. Given their ability to contain a large amount of energy in tiny packaging, fern spores have been shown to be rich in lipids. The presence of simple phenolics, which can be regarded as one of the primary causes of repulsion, makes insect phytophagy on ferns a rare occurrence. Unlike angiosperms, ferns contain special chemicals. The level of specialisation of insects that currently feed on ferns is well illustrated.

The study on insects found feeding on ferns conducted in the field is presented in the publication. It was found that the number of different insects, such as beetles, flea beetles, sawflies, bugs and mealybugs, infested different ferns. Despite the increased toxicity, some insects, such as snails and grasshoppers, can consume mature ferns on a daily basis.

 Further study has to be carried out to find how these insects affect the growth and metabolism of the ferns. Fern-insect interactions can be explained by their evolutionary ties. Only four Lepidopteran families exhibit the rare phenomenon known as fern-spore-feeding (FSF). Fern proteins regulate insects that are resistant to Bt insecticidal proteins, indicating different methods and/or areas of action and perhaps providing a novel method of managing insect pests.