TY - JOUR
T1 - Herbivore-induced plant volatiles mediate behavioral interactions between a leaf-chewing and a phloem-feeding herbivore
AU - Davidson-Lowe, Elizabeth
AU - Ali, Jared G.
N1 - Funding Information:
We are thankful to Zsofia Szendrei and Cesar Rodriguez-Saona for helpful feedback while developing this project. We are also grateful to Megan Forrest for assistance in maintaining insect colonies and plants. We would also like to acknowledge the two anonymous reviewers whose critical feedback strengthened this manuscript. The authors would like to thank USDA-NIFA-GRANT12438289 and Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research New Innovator Award to JGA and NIFA-2019–67011–29519/1019091 to EDL for the financial support to conduct these studies.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Gesellschaft für Ökologie
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Plants respond adaptively to herbivore stress in order to maintain fitness. Upon herbivore attack, plants emit blends of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that differ from those that are constitutively emitted. These defense responses are typically specific to the identity of the attacking herbivore and often linked to the herbivore's feeding guild (e.g. chewing, phloem-feeding). Herbivores use plant volatiles to locate suitable host plants and changes in volatile emissions can affect host-plant location. Therefore, herbivores from separate feeding guilds can interact indirectly through the modulation of plant responses. In this study we tested how damage by an herbivore from one feeding guild affected the host-plant choice of an herbivore from a separate feeding guild, and vice versa. A chewing herbivore, the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), and a phloem feeding herbivore, the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), were assayed in olfactometers to assess behavioral responses to odors emitted by potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) that were damaged by herbivores from the other feeding guild. Leptinotarsa decemlineata oriented more frequently towards undamaged plants compared to M. persicae damaged plants. Surprisingly, M. persicae preferred plants that were damaged by L. decemlineata, although previous studies had shown that they perform worse on these plants. Distinct differences were detected in the volatile profiles of herbivore-damaged and undamaged plants. Leptinotarsa decemlineata induced stronger volatile emissions compared to undamaged control plants, while M. persicae tended to suppress volatile emissions. These herbivores demonstrate contrasting induction of plant volatiles and behavioral responses. Exploring the nature of co-occurring herbivores and how they perceive potential hosts can play a significant role in understanding the ecological functions and community dynamics of plant plasticity and interactions with a variety of herbivores.
AB - Plants respond adaptively to herbivore stress in order to maintain fitness. Upon herbivore attack, plants emit blends of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that differ from those that are constitutively emitted. These defense responses are typically specific to the identity of the attacking herbivore and often linked to the herbivore's feeding guild (e.g. chewing, phloem-feeding). Herbivores use plant volatiles to locate suitable host plants and changes in volatile emissions can affect host-plant location. Therefore, herbivores from separate feeding guilds can interact indirectly through the modulation of plant responses. In this study we tested how damage by an herbivore from one feeding guild affected the host-plant choice of an herbivore from a separate feeding guild, and vice versa. A chewing herbivore, the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), and a phloem feeding herbivore, the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), were assayed in olfactometers to assess behavioral responses to odors emitted by potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) that were damaged by herbivores from the other feeding guild. Leptinotarsa decemlineata oriented more frequently towards undamaged plants compared to M. persicae damaged plants. Surprisingly, M. persicae preferred plants that were damaged by L. decemlineata, although previous studies had shown that they perform worse on these plants. Distinct differences were detected in the volatile profiles of herbivore-damaged and undamaged plants. Leptinotarsa decemlineata induced stronger volatile emissions compared to undamaged control plants, while M. persicae tended to suppress volatile emissions. These herbivores demonstrate contrasting induction of plant volatiles and behavioral responses. Exploring the nature of co-occurring herbivores and how they perceive potential hosts can play a significant role in understanding the ecological functions and community dynamics of plant plasticity and interactions with a variety of herbivores.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.baae.2021.03.005
DO - 10.1016/j.baae.2021.03.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85103026416
SN - 1439-1791
VL - 53
SP - 39
EP - 48
JO - Basic and Applied Ecology
JF - Basic and Applied Ecology
ER -