Creating robust datasets of plant–insect interactions is important for understanding ecosystem dynamics, and data on species interactions can be used to evaluate conservation interventions. In the present work, we collected plant–herbivore–parasitoid data on an understudied but critical ecosystem—gallery forests in the Brazilian cerrado. We collected caterpillars on shrubs of Piper (Piperaceae) over

Certain amino and fatty acids play essential role in plant–herbivore interactions and also act as precursors for various plant defense compounds. Therefore, we carried out amino and fatty acid profiles of seedlings of different specialty maize genotypes viz., quality protein maize (high lysine and tryptophan contents in the kernels), sweet corn, white kernel and yellow kernel, and their fed Chilo partellus

Sahlbergella singularis is a major insect pest of cocoa in Cameroon. Conventional insecticides remain the most widely used option for mirid control, which unfortunately have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Improved methods of controlling this species, both environmentally friendly and inexpensive to farmers, are requirements. Varietal control based on the selection of resistant

Plants have evolved a variety of defences to reduce losses to herbivores and pathogens. The benefits of these may, however, be modified by resistance evolution in antagonists, changes in antagonist fauna, context-dependent “costs of defence”, and by interactions between antagonists. In Barbarea vulgaris (Brassicaceae), the so-called “G-type” produces triterpenoid saponins that deter important specialist

Showcasing how semiochemicals are both multifunctional and can influence a community of organisms is a constant frontier shared by chemical ecologists and applied entomologists alike. As researchers in these fields continue to share broad and overlapping interests, converging on one system could allow for a better understanding of community interactions and the chemical substances that mediate them

Effects of invasive exotic plants on plant communities are often profound, but interactions with higher trophic levels are less evident. Postulated effects of invasive plants on arthropods include increased abundances of herbivores through refuge and improved microclimate, facilitation of other exotic species, and altered arthropod diversity. We examined the impact on the arthropod community by Lespedeza

The hidden diversity and interactions of gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), their associated microfungal symbiont(s), and parasitoid wasps in temperate saltmarshes have been little studied in Australia. Over a period of two years, we investigated the gall-associated communities of the dominant saltmarsh plants, Tecticornia arbuscula and Salicornia quinqueflora, across south-eastern Australian coastal and

Invasion of ecosystems by alien species is a global concern. Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae) is one such species which impacts on native diversity and ecosystem functioning. We assessed how R. pseudoacacia affects flower visitation by arthropods in commercial apple orchards in eastern Free State, South Africa. We used paired observations to compare the abundance and diversity of flower visitors

Ornamental plants are appreciated by humans for their colorfulness, beauty, abundant flowering and long blooming periods. Many ornamental plants can also constitute an additional foraging resource for flower-visiting insects. However, the ability of the popular ornamental plant Calibrachoa to support urban insect communities is not well documented. In this study, 20 different Calibrachoa cultivars

Temporal changes in the composition and abundance of floral visitors during floral anthesis influence the rate of deposition and germination of pollen in stigmas, as well as the rate of removal of pollen from anthers. In the tropics, the squash (Cucurbita pepo) is visited by a great diversity of bees, but little is known regarding the dynamics of its pollinators and pollination during its floral anthesis

In nature, plants interact with multiple organisms, below and aboveground. Although interactions of plants with single biotic stressors are well characterized, knowledge of how the immune system responds to multiple biotic stressors is lacking. It is known that the two most important pathways involved in the plant immune defenses are jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). The crosstalk between

Crystals may modify the food quality, reduce a plant palatability, and choice to insects, or defend against pests. Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is considered one of the most damaging pests in field crops in the world, and is usually associated with several hosts. We examined relations between the choices of whitefly with calcium oxalate crystals (COC) presence in weeds. The treatments

Insect pest occurrences on cabbage fields intercropped with leafy daikon, which is known to present a decoy plant for clubroot disease and belongs to the same family as cabbage (Brassicaceae), were examined at open field in the Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan. Four experiments were conducted to examine the influence of: intercropped leafy daikon’s seeding density on insect pest occurrence, trimming

The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, is the major insect pest of coffee crops worldwide. Coffee berry borer females use coffee berry volatiles during host-searching behaviour. Nonetheless, conspecific infestation is a factor that may affect coffee berry volatile profile and so the attraction of CBB females to coffee berries. In this study, we evaluated the attraction of CBB females to

Florivory and floral larceny are very common antagonistic interactions in nature. Florivory can be especially harmful to species with polymorphisms because it may hinder the transfer of pollen in one of the floral morphs. Flower size is one of the floral signals that can influence the attraction of these antagonists. In addition, little is known about the effects of florivory on other antagonistic

The coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Méneville), is one of the main pests of coffee (Coffea spp.) in the Neotropical region. Leucoptera coffeella is considered a specialist insect because it develops exclusively within the leaves of the genus Coffea. In this laboratory study, we investigated the oviposition preference and performance of L. coffeella on the coffee leaf rust (Hemileia

Many endangered plants are susceptible to pollination failure due to their rareness. We studied the threatened Chilean tree Legrandia concinna (Myrtaceae) with melittophilous pollen-only flowers and the pollen loads of Manuelia postica and asked: Do bees guarantee fruit set? What is the role of the endangered plant as a pollen source for M. postica? Only bees of the relictual endemic Manuelia postica

Dengue is an important vector-borne infectious disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti in the tropics and subtropics. While synthetic chemicals have been used to control mosquitoes, an increase in their use in agricultural and public health domains has led to the development of insecticide resistance in mosquito populations. Hence, there is an increasing interest in biological insecticides as alternatives

Cinara (Cupressobium) cupressi, the cypress aphid, is a serious pest of Cupressus spp. and other Cupressaceae, considered to be one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species. The potential influence of selected biogenic amines (tryptamine, tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine) on development and demographic parameters of a temperate population of the cypress aphid was investigated under laboratory

Indirect plant defense is an important component in regulating population dynamics and the structure of numerous communities in different ecosystems. These defenses mainly involve the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) induced after damage by an herbivore. VOCs can play several ecological roles, such as help natural enemies locate prey or hosts, attract or repel other herbivores, mediate

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-021-09838-0

The palm Euterpe edulis is an important palm species for the extraction of palm heart, a highly profitable consumable product. Due to its importance, much research has been conducted around the ecology of this palm species. Nevertheless, information available on its reproductive ecology is quality-deficient and fragmented, resulting in misleading views of the pollination and reproductive ecology of

The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) poses a serious threat to the crop, causing direct and indirect damage to plants. The present study aimed to investigate the possible expression of resistance by antixenosis and/or antibiosis against D. maidis in 11 corn genotypes [8 non-Bt (60XB14, 90XB06, XB 9003, XB 8018, XB 8010, IAC 8390, IAC 8046, and IAC AIRAN)

The sweetpotato or cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) transmits the Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus [potato], and is, therefore, a major concern for quality seed potato production in India. The population dynamics of whitefly was studied for four seasons (2016–2020) in the Jalandhar region of Punjab (India). The whitefly adults appeared on the crop immediately after emergence and peaked (1

Gall induction is one of the main life strategies of endophagous insects, which serves to provide food and protection against natural enemies. It is proposed that gall size is one of the most important traits in the life history of the inducer insect, since a balance exists between the protection afforded by the gall and exposure to natural enemies. The aims of this study were first to describe the

Soil fertility is understood to act in many indirect ways, in addition to directly providing nutrients to plants. Given that higher order indirect interactions frequently are key to understanding community structure, it would be natural to expect that indirect mutualisms should be as important as other interactions in generating such structure. Although mutualisms are ubiquitous in nature, exploring

Insect UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play an important role in detoxification of substrates such as plant allelochemicals, and cuticle formation by the process of glucosidation. Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor), belonging to the order Diptera (Family: Cecidomyiidae), is a destructive pest of host wheat causing significant economic losses. In the current study, using the assembled genome, we identified

Environmentally acquired chemical camouflage is a phenomenon, where a plant growing close to a strong volatile organic compound (VOC) emitter will adsorb and re-emit the VOCs produced by the neighbouring plant. The re-emitted volatile bouquet may resemble more the VOC composition of the neighbour than plant’s own typical odour, and thus act as chemical camouflage against insect detection, potentially

Morphological and floral chemical components are both important cues used by plants to attract pollinators. Two local ecotypes named ‘Nabawan’ and ‘Apin-Apin’ produced by the tropical orchid, Bulbophyllum ecornutum subspecies verrucatum, exhibit different morphology and scents to attract males of certain Bactrocera and Zeugodacus fruit fly species in the tribe Dacini as potential pollinators. Flowers

During flight, insect herbivores respond to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by host and non-host plants or conspecifics. Dendroctonus ponderosae uses chemical cues including host and non-host VOCs, as well as aggregation pheromones to navigate through the environment and find a suitable reproductive host. The dispersal flight distance of D. ponderosae from its natal host to its reproductive

Priming is an induced defence mechanism in which plants that have been exposed to elicitors, such as herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), go into an alert state with faster and stronger responses against a future biotic challenge. This study evaluated whether HIPVs emitted by maize genotypes after herbivory by fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) larvae could prime neighbouring maize plants

During mustard aphid attack, a huge number of defence proteins’ expression was observed in Indian mustard cultivars cv. Ashirwad and cv. Pusa Mahak. The expression level of those proteins directly correlated with the aphid tolerance level of mustard cultivars. The similar expression of defence proteins was observed in a well-known aphid tolerant wild crucifer Rorippa indica, where a much higher protein

The enhancement of plant resistance to pest infestation, improving plant growth parameters and productivity is in sustainable agriculture programs. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is among the most effective compounds acts as a messenger molecule involved in acclimatory signaling and triggering tolerance against various biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, three cultivars of common bean (Phaseolus

Herbivore identity and intensity are important in mediating plant defense responses, but the effects of their interaction on the plant metabolome have not yet been fully explored. Here, gas chromatography mass spectrometry was utilized to detect the metabolic changes in leaves, stems and roots of the common reed Phragmites australis infested with different intensity combinations of leaf-chewing Laelia

In Ant-gardens, ants build nests with organic materials and take specific seeds of some species of epiphytes which germinate. In this mutualistic interaction, a variety of other epiphytes could colonize the nests and develop, but it doesn't happen. We assume that there is chemical allelopathy with epiphytes inhibiting the germination and growth of other species of epiphytes, and with ants cutting off

Latex is an endogenous fluid exuded by some plants after injury. It is rich in different molecules and has shown many biological activities against different fungi and insects. This work aimed to isolate a peptide fraction from Calotropis procera (PepCp) latex and to evaluate its activity against two fungi and an insect. The chromatographic profile showed that PepCp is constituted mainly by 7 kDa peptides

Silicon (Si) is agronomically beneficial due to positive effects it provides to plant development, including the increased defensive response capacity against attack of herbivorous insects. This study evaluated the effects of applications of Si sources via soil and foliar sprays on yellow passion fruit biochemistry and Si-induced resistance to feeding preference and development of the major passion

Several secondary metabolites are associated with plant resistance against herbivores. Cassava genotypes present a wide variety of metabolites with insecticidal potential, but little is known about the identity of these compounds. The present work was conducted for the identification of insecticidal molecules present in cassava genotypes. To this purpose, we firstly evaluated the development of the

Aphids are considered one of the most damaging pests in agriculture. Plants respond to aphid attack with the production of toxic, repellent and/or antinutritive metabolites, including phenolic compounds. In this study, we examined the free phenolic acid composition of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) leaves in response to green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) feeding in different time course experiments

Due to its ancient origin in the Permian and the high proportion of beetle-pollinated taxa within ancestral magnoliid lineages, it has been hypothesized that beetles were among the first floral visitors of the proto-angiosperms on Earth. Thus, beetle-pollinated flowers have become important model systems essential for the study of the origin and evolution of angiosperms. Under an evolutionary perspective

The phytohormone production hypothesis suggests that organisms, including insects, induce galls by producing and secreting plant growth hormones. Auxins and cytokinins are classes of phytohormones that induce cell growth and cell division, which could contribute to the plant tissue proliferation which constitutes the covering gall. Bacteria, symbiotic with insects, may also play a part in gall induction

Plants can retain either physiologically active green leaves or inactive brown leaves over winter. Research has suggested that leaf retention incurs a cost due to higher herbivore load in the following year; however, no distinction has, thus, far been made between retention of green and brown leaves. We surveyed the over-winter retention of physiologically active green and inactive brown leaves of

Maize (Zea mays subsp. mays), an important cereal crop worldwide, was domesticated directly from the annual teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis), and teosintes originated from gamagrass (Tripsacum) plants. Some herbivorous insects of maize began their association on Tripsacum; however, little is known about the interaction between these herbivores and their parasitoids in this ancestral Tripsacum

Despite potential negative interactions between biological control agents, the release of multiple agents against invasive alien weeds is often justified. The leaf-feeding beetle Mada polluta Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), released against Tecoma stans (L.) Juss ex Kunth var. stans in South Africa, has so far been unable to contain the weed. Consequently, the root-feeding flea beetle Heikertingerella

Experimental studies of the use of visual and olfactory cues by flower-visiting animals can shed light on the evolution of floral signalling traits. We examined the functional significance of floral traits in Clivia miniata (Amaryllidaceae). This forest lily with large orange trumpet-shaped flowers is pollinated mainly by swallowtail butterflies and belongs to a lineage with ancestral bird pollination

The reproductive biology of the cassava genus (Manihot, Euphorbiaceae) remains unknown, despite its relevance to humanity. Here, we investigated the pollination system of two cassava wild relatives concerning the filtering of visitors in unisexual flowers, the specialization–generalization degree, and verified the dependency on pollinators for seed production. We studied two monoecious species M. violacea

Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), the Asian chestnut gall wasp (ACGW), is an invasive pest that threatens native stands and orchards of European Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.). ACGW induces galls in stems, petioles, and midribs. These galls cause inhibition of tree growth and fruit production. An understanding of morphogenetic changes in host organs is important to evaluate how

Volatiles are of key importance for host-plant recognition in insects. In the pollination system of Lithophragma flowers and Greya moths, moths are highly specialized on Lithophragma, in which they oviposit and thereby pollinate the flowers. Floral volatiles in Lithophragma are highly variable between species and populations, and moths prefer to oviposit into Lithophragma flowers from populations of

Plants and herbivores have co-existed for millions of years, leading to complex relationships. Recent studies of plant–insect interactions have focused on important implications of plant defenses on insect immunity. Plants express defenses against herbivores through the production of toxic secondary chemicals, which may alter immune responses. The monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, has been shown

Colletes hederae, the ivy bee, (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) has undergone large range expansions in Europe in recent years, including colonising Britain in 2001 with its original distribution limited to Western mainland Europe and the Channel Islands. It is thought to specialise on Hedera helix L. (Apiales: Ariliaceae), common ivy. However, some research has questioned this dependence. This study quantifies

Plants are attacked by a variety of herbivores and respond with localized or systemic defenses. Plant defense against one feeding guild (e.g. chewing, piercing/sucking) may also affect alternate feeding guilds. To optimize host plant resistance, interactions between feeding guilds must be understood. Aphids are plant virus vectors whose vector efficiency can be altered by plant defenses. To determine

The twolined spittlebug, Prosapia bicincta (Say) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae), is an important insect pest of turfgrass in the eastern United States. Although twolined spittlebug infests most warm-season turfgrasses, the influence of low and high relative humidity (RH) on the expression of feeding damage in warm-season turfgrasses is not well understood. Experiments were conducted in which five warm-season

In North America, notodontid caterpillars feed predominantly on hardwood trees; some cause significant economic damage with periodic outbreaks. The late instars of several species cut girdles around the petiole, rachis, or stem before feeding on distal leaf blades. Little is known about the benefits or costs of girdling for caterpillars. In this paper, we analyzed the energetic cost of girdling by

Agronomic management decisions can alter plant foliar traits, especially nutritional quality, with potential to influence plant–herbivore interactions. Herbivores balance consumption of plant tissue for nutritional gains related to growth and development while contending with plant traits that may deter herbivory or are toxic. This study evaluates the influence of management decisions on the foliar

The tritrophic interactions among plant virus, host plants, and insect vectors directly influence the natural ecosystem, which, in turn, has tremendous practical implications in the sustainable pest control strategies. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), transmitted by aphids in a non-persistent manner, causes severe damage in diverse crops worldwide. There is a wealth of information on the initial round

Plant chemistry plays an important role in mediating resistance against insect herbivores. Depending on insect species and feeding strategies, plant defenses can prevent insect attacks, impact digestive physiology and influence reproductive output. The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is an invasive, tree-killing insect that exploits multiple host plant species. Anoplophora glabripennis

The present study was conducted to determine the role of guava fruit volatiles in attraction, oviposition and associated fitness parameters of the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata Saunders, which is a key pest of guava and many other fruits. B. zonata female flies’ attraction was observed in a Y-tube olfactometer using fruits of three locally grown guava varieties; Gola, Larkana Small Surahi (LSS)

Super-generalism is a pollinator trait where species obtain floral resources from a very wide range of plant species. Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that on islands with low pollinator diversity, such pollinators should evolve to exploit a very wide range of floral morphologies. Super-generalism has implications not only for securing pollination network stability, but also for the invasibility

Woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann) (Hemiptera: Pemphigidae), is a worldwide quarantine pest of apples. Understanding the resistance mechanism of various cultivars to WAA is important for the selection for durable resistance. Few studies have examined the resistance of different apple cultivars to WAA in China; among common varieties produced in China, Red Fuji is highly sensitive

Insect folivores on plants protected by secretory canals commonly sever leaf veins or cut trenches before feeding beyond the cuts. Previous studies reported that vein cutting occurs when canals have an arborescent arrangement, whereas trenching is found when canals have a net-like arrangement. However, some danaine species, such as the monarch caterpillar, Danaus plexippus, show both behaviors on the