| Title: | Herbivory Increases Fruit Set in Silene latifolia: A Consequence of Induced Pollinator-Attracting Floral Volatiles? |
| Author(s): | Cozzolino S; Fineschi S; Litto M; Scopece G; Trunschke J; Schiestl FP; |
| Address: | "Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, Via Madonna del Piano, 10, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy, cozzolin@unina.it" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-015-0597-3 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Although the effect of herbivory on plant reproduction has been investigated in some detail, little is known about how herbivores affect floral signalling. Here, we investigated the effect of foliar herbivory by the African Cotton Leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) on floral signalling and fruit set in the White Campion (Silene latifolia). We found no effects of herbivory on floral traits involved in visual signalling (flower number, corolla diameter, calyx length, petal length) or in amount of nectar produced. However, Spodoptera-infested plants emitted higher amounts of the two floral volatiles, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and beta-ocimene, than control plants. Open pollinated, infested plants also were found to produce more fruits than control plants, but only with nocturnal pollinators. Experimental addition of the two induced floral volatiles to non-infested Silene flowers also led to the production of more fruits with nocturnal pollination. This suggests that higher fruit production in herbivore-infested plants was caused by increased nocturnal pollinator attraction, mediated by the induced floral emission of these two volatiles. Our results show that the effects of herbivory on plant reproductive success are not necessarily detrimental, as plants can compensate herbivory with increased investment in pollinator attraction" |
| Keywords: | Acetates/metabolism Acyclic Monoterpenes Alkenes/metabolism Animals Flowers/*physiology Fruit/*physiology *Herbivory *Pollination Silene/*physiology Spodoptera/*physiology Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism; |
| Notes: | "MedlineCozzolino, Salvatore Fineschi, Silvia Litto, Maria Scopece, Giovanni Trunschke, Judith Schiestl, Florian P eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2015/06/19 J Chem Ecol. 2015 Jul; 41(7):622-30. doi: 10.1007/s10886-015-0597-3. Epub 2015 Jun 18" |
