Plasticity in induced resistance to sequential attack by multiple herbivores in Brassica nigra

In nature, plants interact with multiple insect herbivores that may arrive simultaneously or sequentially. There is extensive knowledge on how plants defend themselves against single or dual attack. However, we lack information on how plants defend against the attack of multiple herbivores that arrive sequentially. In this study, we investigated whether Brassica nigra L. plants are able to defend themselves against caterpillars of the late-arriving herbivore Plutella xylostella L., when plants had been previously exposed to sequential attack by four other herbivores (P. xylostella, Athalia rosae, Myzus persicae and Brevicoryne brassicae). We manipulated the order of arrival and the history of attack by four herbivores to investigate which patterns in sequential herbivory determine resistance against the fifth attacker. We recorded that history of sequential herbivore attack differentially affected the capability of B. nigra plants to defend themselves against caterpillars of P. xylostella. Caterpillars gained less weight on plants attacked by a sequence of four episodes of attack by P. xylostella compared to performance on plants that were not previously damaged by herbivores. The number of times the plant was attacked by herbivores of the same feeding guild, the identity of the first attacker, the identity and the guild of the last attacker as well as the order of attackers within the sequence of multiple herbivores influenced the growth of the subsequent herbivory. In conclusion, this study shows that history of sequential attack is an important factor determining plant resistance to herbivores.

Invasion of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, a new invasive pest, alters native herbivore attack intensity and natural enemy diversity

Rizali A, Oktaviyani, Putri SDPS, Doananda M, Linggani A. 2021. Invasion of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, a new invasive pest, alters native herbivore attack intensity and natural enemy diversity. Biodiversitas 22: 3482-3488. A new invasive alien pest, fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda has been reported widely spread in Indonesia since 2019 and can cause a serious problem in maize cultivation. Its invasion of new habitat may severely impact not only maize production but also native biodiversity including other native pests. This research was aimed to investigate the effect of S. frugiperda invasion on the attack intensity of native herbivores as well as the diversity of natural enemies in maize fields. Field research was conducted in twelve maize fields spread across the district of Malang, Kediri, and Batu, East Java, Indonesia. In each maize field, sampling of S. frugiperda and other insects was conducted by the hand-picking method within four transects with each transect consisting of 100 plants. The results found five species of lepidopteran pests including S. frugiperda, Ostrinia furnacalis, Helicoverpa armigera, Mycalesis sp, and Chrysodeixes sp. S. frugiperda was found with higher attack intensity than other lepidopteran pests. Based on the analysis, the attack intensity of S. frugiperda had a positive relationship with pesticide application and was marginally correlated with plant age and elevation. The infestation of S. frugiperda significantly reduced the attack intensity of other lepidopteran pests as well as the diversity of natural enemies, especially predators. Two native species of parasitoid wasps, Telenomus sp and Mymaridae sp were recorded parasitizing the eggs of S. frugiperda. In conclusion, the infestation of S. frugiperda causes biotic homogenization in the maize field by directly compete with other lepidopteran pests and indirectly eliminate the natural enemy diversity.

Triterpenes induced by young apple fruits in response to herbivore attack

Apples Malus domestica, known as a rich source of triterpene acids, induced more variety and quantity of triterpene acids in response to herbivory or mechanical damage. There were three major induced compounds: pomaceic acid and euscaphic acid, both of which are known apple triterpene acids, and 2α,19α-dihydroxy-3-oxours-12-en-28-oic acid (named eriobotoric acid), which was first identified in apples. In this study, the three compounds’ induction curves after damage, varietal differences in induction amounts, and physiological roles against pest insects were further investigated. Eriobotoric acid showed clear antifeedant activity against lepidopteran insect Spodoptera litura but not against apple pests.

Physiological responses of two pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) families to combined stress conditions – drought and herbivore attack

Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) is economically and ecologically one of the most important tree species in lowland forests of Southeastern Europe, and it is endangered by numerous biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, we investigated the effect of drought and herbivore attack of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) on two families of young oak seedlings subjected to the following treatments: drought (D); gypsy moth (GM); both drought and gypsy moth (D+GM) and control (Ø) for a period of 15 days followed by a 7-day recovery period. During both treatment and recovery, physiological parameters - net photosynthesis (A), transpiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs), sub-stomatal CO₂ concentration (Ci), water use efficiency (WUE), nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and chlorophyll content (Chl) were measured. Our results showed significant effects of stress factors on physiological processes in oak seedlings which could have potential impact on forest regeneration. Also, differences in the reaction between investigated families indicated the need for breeding and selection of more resistant progenies and provenances of pedunculate oak.

Under fire–simultaneous volatilome and transcriptome analysis unravels fine-scale responses of tansy chemotypes to dual herbivore attack.

BackgroundTansy plants (Tanacetum vulgare L.) are known for their high intraspecific chemical variation, especially of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the terpenoid compound group. These VOCs are closely involved in plant-insect interactions and, when profiled, can be used to classify plants into groups known as chemotypes. Tansy chemotypes have been shown to influence plant-aphid interactions, however, to date no information is available on the response of different tansy chemotypes to simultaneous herbivory by more than one insect species.ResultsUsing a multi-cuvette system, we investigated the responses of five tansy chemotypes to feeding by sucking and/or chewing herbivores (aphids and caterpillars; Metopeurum fuscoviride Stroyan and Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval). Herbivory by caterpillars following aphid infestation led to a plant chemotype-specific change in the patterns of terpenoids stored in trichome hairs and in VOC emissions. The transcriptomic analysis of a plant chemotype represents the first de novo assembly of a transcriptome in tansy and demonstrates priming effects of aphids on a subsequent herbivory. Overall, we show that the five chemotypes do not react in the same way to the two herbivores. As expected, we found that caterpillar feeding increased VOC emissions, however, a priori aphid infestation only led to a further increase in VOC emissions for some chemotypes.ConclusionsWe were able to show that different chemotypes respond to the double herbivore attack in different ways, and that pre-treatment with aphids had a priming effect on plants when they were subsequently exposed to a chewing herbivore. If neighbouring chemotypes in a field population react differently to herbivory/dual herbivory, this could possibly have effects from the individual level to the group level. Individuals of some chemotypes may respond more efficiently to herbivory stress than others, and in a group environment these "louder" chemotypes may affect the local insect community, including the natural enemies of herbivores, and other neighbouring plants.

Under fire-simultaneous volatilome and transcriptome analysis unravels fine-scale responses of tansy chemotypes to dual herbivore attack

Background Tansy plants (Tanacetum vulgare L.) are known for their high intraspecific chemical variation, especially of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the terpenoid compound group. These VOCs are closely involved in plant-insect interactions and, when profiled, can be used to classify plants into groups known as chemotypes. Tansy chemotypes have been shown to influence plant-aphid interactions, however, to date no information is available on the response of different tansy chemotypes to simultaneous herbivory by more than one insect species. Results Using a multi-cuvette system, we investigated the responses of five tansy chemotypes to feeding by sucking and/or chewing herbivores (aphids and caterpillars; Metopeurum fuscoviride Stroyan and Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval). Herbivory by caterpillars following aphid infestation led to a plant chemotype-specific change in the patterns of terpenoids stored in trichome hairs and in VOC emissions. The transcriptomic analysis of a plant chemotype represents the first de novo assembly of a transcriptome in tansy and demonstrates priming effects of aphids on a subsequent herbivory. Overall, we show that the five chemotypes do not react in the same way to the two herbivores. As expected, we found that caterpillar feeding increased VOC emissions, however, a priori aphid infestation only led to a further increase in VOC emissions for some chemotypes. Conclusions We were able to show that different chemotypes respond to the double herbivore attack in different ways, and that pre-treatment with aphids had a priming effect on plants when they were subsequently exposed to a chewing herbivore. If neighbouring chemotypes in a field population react differently to herbivory/dual herbivory, this could possibly have effects from the individual level to the group level. Individuals of some chemotypes may respond more efficiently to herbivory stress than others, and in a group environment these “louder” chemotypes may affect the local insect community, including the natural enemies of herbivores, and other neighbouring plants.