| Title: | Response of a Predatory ant to Volatiles Emitted by Aphid- and Caterpillar-Infested Cucumber and Potato Plants |
| Author(s): | Schettino M; Grasso DA; Weldegergis BT; Castracani C; Mori A; Dicke M; Van Lenteren JC; Van Loon JJA; |
| Address: | "Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy. Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy. donato.grasso@unipr.it. Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-017-0887-z |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In response to herbivory by insects, various plants produce volatiles that attract enemies of the herbivores. Although ants are important components of natural and agro-ecosystems, the importance of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) as cues for ants for finding food sources have received little attention. We investigated responses of the ant Formica pratensis to volatiles emitted by uninfested and insect-infested cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants. Cucumber plants were infested by the phloem-feeding aphid Aphis gossypii, the leaf chewer Mamestra brassicae or simultaneously by both insects. Potato plants were infested by either Aphis gossypii, by the leaf chewer Chrysodeixis chalcites or both. In olfactometer experiments, ants preferred volatile blends emitted by cucumber plants infested with M. brassicae caterpillars alone or combined with A. gossypii to volatiles of undamaged plants or plants damaged by A. gossypii only. No preference was recorded in choice tests between volatiles released by aphid-infested plants over undamaged plants. Volatiles emitted by potato plants infested by either C. chalcites or A. gossypii were preferred by ants over volatiles released by undamaged plants. Ants did not discriminate between potato plants infested with aphids and caterpillars over plants infested with aphids only. Plant headspace composition showed qualitative and/or quantitative differences between herbivore treatments. Multivariate analysis revealed clear separation between uninfested and infested plants and among herbivore treatments. The importance of HIPVs in indirect plant defence by ants is discussed in the context of the ecology of ant-plant interactions and possible roles of ants in pest management" |
| Keywords: | Animals Ants/*physiology Aphids/*physiology Cucumis sativus/*physiology *Herbivory Lepidoptera/*physiology Odorants/analysis Predatory Behavior Solanum tuberosum/*physiology Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis/*metabolism Ant-plant interactions Behavioura; |
| Notes: | "MedlineSchettino, Mauro Grasso, Donato A Weldegergis, Berhane T Castracani, Cristina Mori, Alessandra Dicke, Marcel Van Lenteren, Joop C Van Loon, Joop J A eng FIL 2014-2015/Universita degli Studi di Parma/ 2017/09/28 J Chem Ecol. 2017 Oct; 43(10):1007-1022. doi: 10.1007/s10886-017-0887-z. Epub 2017 Sep 26" |
