Intraspecific interaction of host plants leads to concentrated distribution of a specialist herbivore through metabolic alterations in the leaves

Inbreeding can profoundly affect the interactions of plants with herbivores as well as with the natural enemies of the herbivores. We studied how plant inbreeding affects herbivore oviposition preference, and whether inbreeding of both plants and herbivores alters the probability of predation or parasitism of herbivore eggs. In a laboratory preference test with the specialist herbivore moth Abrostola asclepiadis and inbred and outbred Vincetoxicum hirundinaria plants, we discovered that herbivores preferred to oviposit on outbred plants. A field experiment with inbred and outbred plants that bore inbred or outbred herbivore eggs revealed that the eggs of the outbred herbivores were more likely to be lost by predation, parasitism or plant hypersensitive responses than inbred eggs. This difference did not lead to differences in the realized fecundity as the number of hatched larvae did not differ between inbred and outbred herbivores. Thus, the strength of inbreeding depression in herbivores decreases when their natural enemies are involved. Plant inbreeding did not alter the attraction of natural enemies of the eggs. We conclude that inbreeding can significantly alter the interactions of plants and herbivores at different life-history stages, and that some of these alterations are mediated by the natural enemies of the herbivores.

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Leaf traits of congeneric host plants explain differences in performance of a specialist herbivore

Ecological Entomology ◽

10.1111/een.12180 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 237-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

MICHAEL G. CRIPPS ◽

SARAH D. JACKMAN ◽

MICHAEL ROSTÁS ◽

CHIKAKO VAN KOTEN ◽

GRAEME W. BOURDÔT

Keyword(s):

Host Plants ◽

Leaf Traits ◽

Specialist Herbivore

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Variability is the nature of the endophyte-grass interaction

NZGA: Research and Practice Series ◽

10.33584/rps.13.2006.3083 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 37-48

Author(s):

S.H. Faeth ◽

K. Saikkonen

Keyword(s):

Host Plants ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Specialist Herbivore ◽

Interacting Species ◽

The Past ◽

Wild Grass ◽

Third Trophic Level ◽

Herbivore Species ◽

Evolutionary Concepts ◽

Natural Communities

Studies of systemic endophyte in grasses have skyrocketed in the past two decades. However, the vast majority of these studies still occur in agroecosystems. We show that ecological and evolutionary concepts derived from these systems may be misleading because they fail to incorporate the enormous variability found in endophyte-host grass interactions in wild grass populations. This variability stems from 1) genetic differences in host plants and endophytes, 2) environmental factors such as light and soil nutrients and moisture, and 3) the tangled web of interacting species in natural communities, such as conspecific and interspecific plants, multiple generalist and specialist herbivore species, and the third trophic level, predators and parasites. Studies of natural populations and communities continue to lag far behind those involving agronomic grass systems. However, we argue that additional studies of infected wild grass populations and communities are essential to advance ecological and evolutionary concepts of endophytegrass interactions. Keywords: endophytes, herbivore resistance, grasses, natural populations and communities, natural enemies, Neotyphodium, pathogens, plant defenses, variability

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Interactions between a specialist herbivore, Crocidosema plebejana, and its host plants Malva parviflora and cotton, Gossypium hirsutum: Larval performance

Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata ◽

10.1111/j.1570-7458.1993.tb00710.x ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 66 (3) ◽

pp. 199-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

J. G. Hamilton ◽

M. P. Zalucki

Keyword(s):

Gossypium Hirsutum ◽

Host Plants ◽

Larval Performance ◽

Specialist Herbivore ◽

Malva Parviflora

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Intraspecific interaction of host plant influences local distribution of specialist herbivores through metabolic alterations in leaves

10.1101/2021.07.30.454541 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Haruna Ohsaki ◽

Atsuko Miyagi ◽

Maki Kawai-Yamada ◽

Akira Yamawo

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Condensed Tannins ◽

Total Phenolics ◽

Local Population ◽

Leaf Traits ◽

Leaf Beetle ◽

Resource Utilisation ◽

Intraspecific Interaction ◽

Specialist Herbivore ◽

Leaf Beetles

Recent studies suggest that changes in leaf traits due to interactions between plants affect the resource utilisation and distribution of herbivores. However, this has not yet been confirmed experimentally. Here, we investigated the effects of phenotypic plasticity in leaf traits of Rumex obtusifolius (host plant) in response to the intra and interspecific interaction on distribution of two leaf beetles, Gastrophysa atrocyanea (specialist herbivore) and Galerucella grisescens (generalist herbivore). We investigated the local population density of R. obtusifolius plants and the presence of leaf beetles on the plants at five study sites. Leaf chemicals (condensed tannins and total phenolics) were compared between aggregated and solitary R. obtusifolius plants. To clarify the effects of the interaction environment of R. obtusifolius plants on their leaf traits and resource utilisation by leaf beetles, we conducted cultivation and preference experiments. Leaf chemicals (chlorophylls, organic acids, primary metabolites, condensed tannins and total phenolics) and preferences of adult leaf beetles were compared between intraspecific, interspecific plant interaction, or no-interaction treatments. Finally, we evaluated the effects of interaction between R. obtusifolius on leaf beetle distribution in mesocosm experiments. In the field, the presence of the specialist leaf beetle, G. atrocyanea, was positively correlated with the local population density (rosette overlap ratio) of R. obtusifolius plants; however, no correlation was observed in the case of the generalist leaf beetle, G. grisescens. In the cultivation experiment, plants in the intraspecific interaction treatment increased their leaf contents of condensed tannins and total phenolics, and G. atrocyanea consumed more of these leaves than leaves in other treatments. Similar results were observed in the field. In the mesocosm experiment, larger numbers of G. atrocyanea were distributed on R. obtusifolius plants exposed to below-ground intraspecific interaction than on plants not exposed to intraspecific interaction. Our results provide experimental evidence that leaf trait changes in response to intraspecific interaction between host plants influence specialist herbivore distribution. This highlights the need to integrate plant plant interactions into our understanding of plant animal interactions.

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Plant iron acquisition strategy exploited by an insect herbivore

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aat4082 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 361 (6403) ◽

pp. 694-697 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

L. Hu ◽

P. Mateo ◽

M. Ye ◽

X. Zhang ◽

J. D. Berset ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iron Uptake ◽

Host Plants ◽

Iron Acquisition ◽

Insect Herbivore ◽

Insect Herbivores ◽

Corn Rootworm ◽

Specialist Herbivore ◽

Maize Plants ◽

Acquisition Strategy ◽

Root Feeding

Insect herbivores depend on their host plants to acquire macro- and micronutrients. Here we asked how a specialist herbivore and damaging maize pest, the western corn rootworm, finds and accesses plant-derived micronutrients. We show that the root-feeding larvae use complexes between iron and benzoxazinoid secondary metabolites to identify maize as a host, to forage within the maize root system, and to increase their growth. Maize plants use these same benzoxazinoids for protection against generalist herbivores and, as shown here, for iron uptake. We identify an iron transporter that allows the corn rootworm to benefit from complexes between iron and benzoxazinoids. Thus, foraging for an essential plant-derived complex between a micronutrient and a secondary metabolite shapes the interaction between maize and a specialist herbivore.

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