The Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor (Diptera: Cecidmyiidae) is a major pest of wheat, globally. We conducted a series of laboratory choice and no-choice assays to quantify Hessian fly host preference for barley (cv. Champion), oat (cv. Cayuse), susceptible (cv. Alturas), and resistant (cv. Hollis) wheat. In addition, larval survivorship and adult emergence were compared among the evaluated host plants. We then examined whether insect preference for a host can be explained by differences in plant spectral reflectance. Further, larval survivorship and adult emergence were compared among host plants in relation to phytohormone concentrations. Hessian flies laid more eggs on wheat compared to either oat or barley. Spectral reflectance measurements of leaves were similar between susceptible and resistant wheat cultivars but different from those of barley and oat. Our results suggested that higher reflectance in the near-infrared range and lower reflectance in the visible range may be used by females for host selection. Hessian fly larvae were unable to develop into the pupal stage on resistant wheat and oat. No significant difference in larval survivorship was detected between the susceptible wheat and barley. However, adult emergence was significantly higher on barley than the susceptible wheat. Phytohormonal evaluations revealed that salicylic acid (SA) may be an important contributor to plant defense response to larval feeding as relatively higher concentrations of SA were present in oat and resistant wheat. While resistance in the resistant wheat is achieved only through antibiosis, both antibiosis and antixenosis were in effect rendering oat as a non-host for Hessian flies.

黑森州苍蝇Mayetiola 破坏者（双翅目：Cecidmyiidae）是全球小麦的主要害虫。我们进行了一系列实验室选择和无选择试验，以量化黑森州苍蝇宿主对大麦（cv. Champion）、燕麦（cv. Cayuse）、易感（cv. Alturas）和抗性（cv. Hollis）小麦的偏好。此外，在评估的寄主植物中比较了幼虫存活和成虫出现。然后我们检查了昆虫对宿主的偏好是否可以通过植物光谱反射率的差异来解释。此外，还比较了寄主植物中与植物激素浓度相关的幼虫存活率和成虫出现率。与燕麦或大麦相比，黑森州苍蝇在小麦上产卵更多。易感和抗性小麦品种的叶子光谱反射率测量值相似，但与大麦和燕麦的光谱反射率测量值不同。我们的结果表明，雌性可以使用近红外范围内较高的反射率和可见光范围内较低的反射率进行宿主选择。黑森蝇幼虫无法在抗性小麦和燕麦上发育成蛹期。在易感小麦和大麦之间未检测到幼虫存活率的显着差异。然而，大麦的成虫出苗率明显高于易感小麦。植物激素评估表明，水杨酸 (SA) 可能是植物对幼虫摄食的防御反应的重要因素，因为燕麦和抗性小麦中存在相对较高浓度的水杨酸。虽然抗性小麦的抗性只能通过抗生素来实现，但抗生素和抗毒素实际上都使燕麦成为黑森州果蝇的非宿主。