Insect host plant selection in complex environments

Carrasco, Davíd; Larsson, Mattias C.; Anderson, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.cois.2015.01.014

Cited by 141 publications

(115 citation statements)

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“…, Carrasco et al. ). The distinction between both aspects of herbivore response to PGD is not trivial because herbivore recruitment and actual plant consumption likely respond to different drivers (e.g., relative frequency of more or less palatable plants, plant nutritional quality, top‐down control of natural enemies; Moreira et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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The effect of tree genetic diversity on insect herbivory varies with insect abundance

et al. 2017

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Citation: Fernandez-Conradi, P., H. Jactel, A. Hampe, M. J. Leiva, and B. Castagneyrol. 2017. The effect of tree genetic diversity on insect herbivory varies with insect abundance. Ecosphere 8(1):e01637. 10.1002/ecs2.1637Abstract. Variance in edibility among plant genotypes is expected to be a key driver of plant genetic diversity (PGD) effects on abundance of insect herbivores and resulting herbivory. Yet, herbivore foraging behavior and leaf consumption may be also context-dependent and, in particular, influenced by herbivore density, which remains unexplored. We used a combination of field and laboratory experiments with saplings from four half-sib families (henceforth, families) of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) to test how PGD and herbivore density interactively affect herbivory. Insect herbivory was assessed in a common garden experiment with plots containing all possible combinations of individuals from one to four oak families. Herbivore density was manipulated by spraying insecticide in a factorial design. Complementary feeding trials with gypsy moth larvae (Lymantria dispar) were used to further explore the mechanisms underlying observed patterns in the field. Herbivory decreased with increasing PGD under normal herbivore density, but not under reduced herbivore abundance. The most damaged oak family in the field was also the most consumed in non-choice tests and was consistently preferred over other families in choice tests. Trials showed that the presence of less edible families in the diet reduced overall consumption by gypsy moth larvae. Under field conditions, the most edible family consistently benefited most from being associated with less edible, neighboring genotypes. Our results demonstrate that small-scale PGD can provide associational resistance to insect herbivory, probably through change in herbivore foraging activity. Importantly, they also reveal that the magnitude of genetic diversity effect depends on herbivore density.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…, Carrasco et al. ). The amount of competitors on a given plant, together with induced plant defenses, is likely to change rank order preference in foraging insects (Utsumi et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The effect of tree genetic diversity on insect herbivory varies with insect abundance

et al. 2017

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“…This strategy has been proposed, for multivoltine species, as an adaptation to environments where the composition of plant communities varies over space and time in an unpredictable way (Wiklund and Friberg 2009). Despite its advantages, this strategy comes at a cost: when a large number of plant species are suitable, a relationship between sensory cues and suitability would be either non-existent or too complex for insect neural analytical capacity (Bernays 2001;Carrasco et al 2015). Indeed, it has long been noted that polyphagous females frequently make maladaptive oviposition site choices, and lay their eggs on plant species that are not always optimal for the development of their offspring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host Plant Species Differentiation in a Polyphagous Moth: Olfaction is Enough

2017

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Polyphagous herbivorous insects need to discriminate suitable from unsuitable host plants in complex plant communities. While studies on the olfactory system of monophagous herbivores have revealed close adaptations to their host plant's characteristic volatiles, such adaptive fine-tuning is not possible when a large diversity of plants is suitable. Instead, the available literature on polyphagous herbivore preferences suggests a higher level of plasticity, and a bias towards previously experienced plant species. It is therefore necessary to take into account the diversity of plant odors that polyphagous herbivores encounter in the wild in order to unravel the olfactory basis of their host plant choice behaviour. In this study we show that a polyphagous moth, Spodoptera littoralis, has the sensory ability to distinguish five host plant species using olfaction alone, this being a prerequisite to the ability to make a choice. We have used gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) in order to describe host plant odor profiles as perceived by S. littoralis. We find that each plant emits specific combinations and proportions of GC-EAD active volatiles, leading to statistically distinct profiles. In addition, at least four of these plants show GC-EAD active compound proportions that are conserved across individual plants, a characteristic that enables insects to act upon previous olfactory experiences during host plant choice. By identifying the volatiles involved in olfactory differentiation of alternative host plants by Spodoptera littoralis, we set the groundwork for deeper investigations of how olfactory perceptions translate into behaviour in polyphagous herbivores.

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“…Plant-derived cues play a role in host-plant selection by herbivorous insects and influence behaviors crucial to insect fitness and survival, such as feeding, mating, and oviposition (Bruce et al 2005; Carrasco et al 2015). In 1978, Jaenicke hypothesized that host-choice in phytophagous insects is mainly the responsibility of ovipositing females, who should choose plants that would maximize survival and performance of their offspring (“preference-performance” or “mother knows best” hypothesis) (Jaenike 1978).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, polyphagous insects may benefit from experience-dependent behavioral plasticity in their host-selection process (Anderson and Anton 2014; Bernays 2001; Carrasco et al 2015). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding Experience Affects the Behavioral Response of Polyphagous Gypsy Moth Caterpillars to Herbivore-induced Poplar Volatiles

et al. 2016

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Plant volatiles influence host selection of herbivorous insects. Since volatiles often vary in space and time, herbivores (especially polyphagous ones) may be able to use these compounds as cues to track variation in host plant quality based on their innate abilities and previous experience. We investigated the behavioral response of naïve (fed on artificial diet) and experienced (fed on poplar) gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars, a polyphagous species, towards constitutive and herbivore-induced black poplar (Populus nigra) volatiles at different stages of herbivore attack. In Y-tube olfactometer assays, both naïve and experienced caterpillars were attracted to constitutive volatiles and volatiles released after short-term herbivory (up to 6 hr). Naïve caterpillars also were attracted to volatiles released after longer-term herbivory (24–30 hr), but experienced caterpillars preferred the odor of undamaged foliage. A multivariate statistical analysis comparing the volatile emission of undamaged plants vs. plants after short and longer-term herbivory, suggested various compounds as being responsible for distinguishing between the odors of these plants. Ten compounds were selected for individual testing of caterpillar behavioral responses in a four-arm olfactometer. Naïve caterpillars spent more time in arms containing (Z)-3-hexenol and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate than in solvent permeated arms, while avoiding benzyl cyanide and salicyl aldehyde. Experienced caterpillars avoided benzyl cyanide and preferred (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and the homoterpene (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) over solvent. Only responses to DMNT were significantly different when comparing experienced and naïve caterpillars. The results show that gypsy moth caterpillars display an innate behavioral response towards constitutive and herbivore-induced plant volatiles, but also that larval behavior is plastic and can be modulated by previous feeding experience.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10886-016-0698-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Insect host plant selection in complex environments

Cited by 141 publications

References 61 publications

The effect of tree genetic diversity on insect herbivory varies with insect abundance

The effect of tree genetic diversity on insect herbivory varies with insect abundance

Host Plant Species Differentiation in a Polyphagous Moth: Olfaction is Enough

Feeding Experience Affects the Behavioral Response of Polyphagous Gypsy Moth Caterpillars to Herbivore-induced Poplar Volatiles

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