| Title: | Birds exploit herbivore-induced plant volatiles to locate herbivorous prey |
| Author(s): | Amo L; Jansen JJ; van Dam NM; Dicke M; Visser ME; |
| Address: | "Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Departamento de Ecologia Funcional y Evolutiva, Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas (CSIC), Ctra, de Sacramento s/n. E-04120, La Canada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1461-0248 (Electronic) 1461-023X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Arthropod herbivory induces plant volatiles that can be used by natural enemies of the herbivores to find their prey. This has been studied mainly for arthropods that prey upon or parasitise herbivorous arthropods but rarely for insectivorous birds, one of the main groups of predators of herbivorous insects such as lepidopteran larvae. Here, we show that great tits (Parus major) discriminate between caterpillar-infested and uninfested trees. Birds were attracted to infested trees, even when they could not see the larvae or their feeding damage. We furthermore show that infested and uninfested trees differ in volatile emissions and visual characteristics. Finally, we show, for the first time, that birds smell which tree is infested with their prey based on differences in volatile profiles emitted by infested and uninfested trees. Volatiles emitted by plants in response to herbivory by lepidopteran larvae thus not only attract predatory insects but also vertebrate predators" |
| Keywords: | Animals *Herbivory Larva/physiology Malus/*metabolism Moths/*physiology Passeriformes/*physiology Smell Volatile Organic Compounds/chemistry/*metabolism Apple trees Parus major avian olfaction foraging induced indirect plant defence insect herbivores inse; |
| Notes: | "MedlineAmo, Luisa Jansen, Jeroen J van Dam, Nicole M Dicke, Marcel Visser, Marcel E eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2013/10/10 Ecol Lett. 2013 Nov; 16(11):1348-55. doi: 10.1111/ele.12177. Epub 2013 Sep 17" |
