Salinity is becoming a limiting factor for crop production, particularly in arid and semiarid areas all around the world. This phenomenon can adversely affect both plant integrity and herbivorous insects. Herein, we assessed the bottom-up effects of four salinity levels (3.1 [control], 6.0, 10 and 12.0 dS/m) on the life parameters of viruliferous bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) and the

Parasitoids use herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV´s) to locate their hosts. However, little is known about variations in HIPV´s production in genetically modified maize plants that are herbicide tolerant (singular event), insect resistant (Bt plants, singular event), or both herbicide tolerant and insect resistant, like staked events. We investigated the olfactory responses of the egg parasitoid

A diverse array of organisms induce plants to form galls. This phenomenon is one of the most striking instances of convergent evolution, yet the underlying mechanism is only well understood in gall-inducing microbes. To determine if gall induction by insects is associated with bacterial symbiosis, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to examine the microbiome of a variety of gall-inducing and non-gall-inducing

Floral resources can be recognized by visitors through attractants that signal their presence. However, besides petals, it is still unclear how floral elements in heterantherous species are perceived by visiting bees. In this study, we aim to understand the role of stamens and petals of Pleroma granulosum and P. raddianum in attracting pollination bees, mainly by evaluating whether pollinator behaviour

Declining snow cover is reshaping ecological communities. Early loss of snow cover initiates changes in key interactions that mediate herbivore abundance, i.e., top-down and bottom-up effects. In this study, we used a field experiment to test the effects of host plant water stress and phenology on the multitrophic interactions that determine aphid abundance. The aphid, Aphis asclepiadis, in our study

Insect chemical ecology (ICE) evolved as a discipline concerned with plant–insect interactions, and also with a strong focus on intraspecific pheromone-mediated communication. Progress in this field has rendered a more complete picture of how insects exploit chemical information in their surroundings in order to survive and navigate their world successfully. Simultaneously, this progress has prompted

The tobacco Nicotiana rustica is widely used as a trap crop in the fields of Nicotiana tabacum in China, by attracting oviposition of Helicoverpa assulta females, thus preventing damage to N. tabacum. The mechanism underlying the differential oviposition rates of H. assulta across these two tobacco species, however, is largely unknown. We investigated the mechanism of host plant acceptance of H. assulta

Plant reproduction is influenced by abiotic resources and biotic mutualistic and antagonistic interactions, which in turn can be affected by anthropogenic disturbances such as increased fire frequency. Because frequent fires deplete soil fertility and thus decrease resource availability for plants, we hypothesize that increased fire frequency decreases specific leaf area (SLA) and reproductive success

Duponchelia fovealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was introduced in Brazil not long ago and causes severe yield losses to strawberry plantations. This situation demands the development of sustainable pest management strategies. Podisus nigrispinus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a Neotropical generalist predator that has potential to be used in biological control programs against D. fovealis. Herbivore-induced

Plant breeding has improved traits such as fruit flavor and yield but may have compromised direct and indirect defenses to herbivores compared to their wild ancestors. This has been termed the plant domestication-reduced defense hypothesis. We present evidence that domestication of Capsicum annuum (the chili pepper) from its wild progenitor, Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum, has not affected resistance

Non-parasitic bees differ in the degree of their taxonomic specialisation for pollen collection to feed their brood. Surveys of published data on pollen specialisation by bees of central Europe showed that about two-thirds of species are pollen generalists (polylectic) while the remainder only collect pollen of one family, genus or species (monolectic and oligolectic). Proportions of monolectic and

In response to the qualitative and quantitative changes in floral resources, bumble bees flexibly forage multiple plant species throughout the growing season. During the short summer in an alpine ecosystem, the activity of worker bees is maximized in the middle of the season, when the competition for floral resources may be intense. We predicted that the foraging patterns of bumble bees are affected

Many plant viruses are significant pathogens that are able to utilize arthropod vectors to infect a vast range of host plants, resulting in serious economic damage to world food crops. One such crop is Sorghum bicolor, grain sorghum, which is the fifth most important global cereal crop, it is grown for human consumption, animal feed, and biofuel. In this study, the Potyviruses Johnsongrass mosaic virus

The development of resistance in Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) against a number of conventional and new chemistry insecticides has encouraged researchers to exploit some eco-friendly integrated pest management approaches to keep the pest population below their threshold levels. In the current laboratory trials, a free choice cotton leaf-disc assay was conducted to check the effect

Some species of bees restrict foraging to the twilight period before sunrise or after sunset. Among the plants sought by these nocturnal bees are species described as chiropterophilous, such as Caryocar brasiliense. The flowers of this species open in the evening and provide resources until dawn. We determined the pattern of flower visitation by nocturnal bees and their role in pollination and fruit

Obstacles in different tissue layers of leaves can influence aphid feeding behavior and host preference. In this study, we examined the feeding behaviors of cabbage aphids Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on the five oilseed rape cultivars with varied levels of aphid susceptibility using the electropenetrography (EPG) technique. The leaf anatomical structures of the five oilseed

Ground-nesting ant species are known to promote plant growth by soil nutrient enhancement. Camponotus compressus ants regularly visit the extrafloral nectary-bearing, lycaenid-infested cowpea, Vigna unguiculata plants and construct a shelter for the lycaenid caterpillars at the plant base. The present study shows that ants may influence the overall fitness of the infested cowpea plants by providing

Giant and Canadian goldenrods (Solidago gigantea and S. canadensis, respectively) are two closely related insect-pollinated plants of the family Asteraceae, native to North America and invasive in the Palearctic region. Here we study the structure of the flower-visitor community associated with these species in seven sites from three geographic locations in Central Russia throughout two flowering seasons

Plants require mechanisms of defense to limit the amount of damage by herbivores. Calcium oxalate crystals (COC) in the leaves can serve as inducible defenses against chewing insects, such as Caliroa cerasi larvae. We studied the relationship between leaf COC from Prunus avium and herbivory by C. cerasi larvae, to assess the defensive role of inducible responses. We examined from cafeteria choice experiments

Aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae) feed on the phloem and some of them induce the formation of conspicuous galls on their primary hosts. Histological studies were proposed to elucidate the evolutionary history of galling habit in Pemphigini tribe, assessing if gall complexity indicates the phylogenetic relations among gall inducers. Nine Eriosomatinae galls induced on Populus nigra from the Iberian Peninsula

Pathogens which need a vector for their transmission can alter the vectors’ behaviour to favour their spread. We used the electrical penetration graph technique to investigate this hypothesis by using the tomato potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli infected or not with the plant pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) on African boxthorn and tomato. Probing was not affected by the host

The bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus is one of the major storage pests of dry bean. Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) is a great source of resistance against A. obtectus to improve dry bean production. We developed two F2 populations of Phaseolus spp. by crossing bean genotypes resistant to A. obtectus × susceptible, to (1) search for metabolites related to bean weevil resistance using an untargeted

Plant–soil feedbacks of plants that are exposed to herbivory have been shown to differ from those of plants that are not exposed to herbivores. Likely, this process is mediated by jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) defense pathways, which are induced by aboveground herbivory. Furthermore, exogenous application of these phytohormones to plants alters belowground communities, but whether this

Biological communities are subject to spatiotemporal variations in community structure, i.e., species composition, richness, and abundance. Plant–pollinator interactions are affected by species composition and abundance, so that rapid changes in plant community structure can lead to critical impacts on plant–pollinator interactions at the community level. The extent of these impacts depends on how

In novel plant–insect relationships, oviposition preference and nymphal performance determine host range evolution. Corythucha marmorata, native to North America and specialist on asteraceous plants, has been reported to exploit sweet potato (Convolvulaceae) in Japan. Here we examined the capability of females to oviposit and of nymphs to grow on both a conventional host (goldenrod, Solidago altissima)

Plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) serve diverse ecological functions by providing nectar to a broad spectrum of arthropods (e.g., ants, parasitoids). This study examined the extent to which plant architecture of American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis L.; Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis [L.] Bolli), resulting from two pruning methods that produced herbaceous (base-pruning) and woody (high-pruning)

The growth of herbivorous insects is influenced by their host plants, which is underpinned by genetic regulations. We studied the growth performance of the grasshopper Calliptamus abbreviatus Ikonn when it fed on a suitable host plant, Artemisia frigida (Asteraceae) and unsuitable host plant, Stipa krylovii (Poaceae) in a two-year feeding trial. Additionally, the underlying transcriptomic response

In plant–pollination interactions, the antagonists collect the same set of resources offered to legitimate visitors, but their morphologies and behavioural approaches possibly make their effect on plant fitness negative rather than positive. Depending on the morphology of Malpighiaceae flowers, these small-bodied bees can adopt an upside-down position, biting and damaging the floral pedicel. Therefore

The successful colonization of an aphid requires intimate/compatible association which is achieved in the susceptible host plant. During development of intimate association with the susceptible host plant, aphid explores ‘effector’ molecules enriched in saliva that translocate into the host cell to modulate host cell’s function (physiology) as well as structure for assuring the nutrient availability

Efforts are being made to develop chickpea varieties with resistance to the pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera for reducing pesticide use and minimizing the extent of losses due to this pest. However, only low to moderate levels of resistance have been observed in the cultivated chickpea to this polyphagous pest. Hence, it is important to explore wild relatives as resistance sources to develop insect-resistant

It is well known that the interactions of insect herbivores and their host plant can be mediated by microbes. Our central hypothesis is that herbivore-associated fungi might directly or indirectly affect plant–insect interactions. In this study, we identified five orally secreted fungi from field-collected black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon, including Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus niger, Geotrichum

Danaine butterflies sequester pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from several plant sources. The underlying mechanisms that mediate this interaction have not been explored. It is also underappreciated whether species that differ in PA demands forage differently. Decision-making in the southern monarch butterfly Danaus erippus (low PA-demand) was compared with the queen butterfly D. gilippus (high PA-demand)

The expansion of available resources leads organisms to adapt to novel niches and create new biological interactions. Galerucella grisescens (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is usually associated with Polygonaceae in Japan but a population feeding on an invasive plant species Myriophyllum aquaticum (Haloragaceae) was found in Chiba Prefecture, Honshu. To infer the process of host range expansion and possible

Generalist insects, which utilize various food resources from various environments, must make decisions to locate resources using novel environmental sensory stimuli when they arrive in a new habitat. In addition to the innate response repertoire, such decision using novel stimuli can include an experience-based process. Here, we showed that the generalist parasitic wasp Aphidius gifuensis altered

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article [1]. According to the University of Jyväskylä, the author did not have permission to use the data for the research purposes described in this article. The University of Jyväskylä has stated that the data collected from the Konnevesi long-term field experiment forms a database protected under the Finnish Copyright Act, Section 49. The producer, in this

Invasive plants are a novel resource for the resident pollinator community, but may not be able to successfully attract pollinators if they have a specialized pollination system or restrictive floral morphology. Pollinator limitation may limit invasion success, but a plant able to attract many pollinators in different conditions will be a successful invasive species. In this study, we measured the

Calcium (Ca) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth. It can confer plants with resistance to abiotic stresses. However, little is understood about its role on biotic stresses. Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is one of the world’s most important invasive pests and poses a great threat to crops; meanwhile, it is hard to control due to its polyphagia and rapid reproduction

Toughness of leaves is an important defence mechanism of plants against insect herbivores and is generally linked to leaf fibre content. We explored the anatomical basis and the ecological role of needle toughness as a mechanism of defence against feeding initiation by second-instar spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) emerging from diapause. We first aimed at determining relationships between

Diet quality influences arthropod performance under changing environments. However, little is known about how host plant species may influence the responses of polyphagous insects to climate stressors despite their exploitation of different plant species within and across seasons. Against this background, we examined the effects of host plant species (Zea mays L. and Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) on the

Protein tyrosine kinase (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPs) collectively regulate the insect insulin-signaling pathway (ISP), cell growth, metabolism, proliferation, differentiation, cell communication and monitoring of immune responses. We studied the inhibitory response of the grasshopper Oedaleus asiaticus Bey-Bienko to treat with the flavonoid genistein (PTK inhibitor), the enzyme PTP1B-IN-1

Flexibility and variations in morphological and physiological traits are the key for insect herbivores to adapt to environments. The cotton–melon aphid Aphis gossypii Glover is a polyphagous insect which populations exhibit host specialization. Feeding experience on specific host plants converted host specialization in this aphid. However, adaptive changes of this aphids during the host conversion

Plant invasions can modify the composition of native communities through altering diversity and ecosystem functioning. For example, arthropod communities can be influenced by the introduction of invasive plant species, but the impacts of plant invasions on arthropod communities have received little attention. Here, we investigated the diversity and species composition of arthropods in areas with and

Flies of the genus Bradysia (Diptera, Sciaridae) are considered as major insect pests of greenhouse-grown horticultural crops. The ability of hooked trichomes of the French bean Phaseolus vulgaris to impale and entrap herbivorous insects thus resulting in insect reduced longevity, reproduction and larval mortality is well known. The present study investigates under laboratory conditions the ability

Nocturnal pollination plays an important role in sexual plant reproduction but has been overlooked, partially because of intrinsic difficulties in field experimentation. Even less attention has received the effect of within-inflorescence spatial position (distal or proximal) on nocturnal pollinators of columnar plants, despite numerous studies examining the relationship between such position and reproductive

The ecological effects of the keystone mutualism between sap-feeding insects have been evaluated from the individual to landscape scales, but these effects’ fine-scale variation has not been characterized well. Here, we tested a simple hypothesis that aphid-tending ants’ effect on plant herbivory should be stronger on small leaves, with a dataset that included 15,602 leaves of a widely distributed

Salivary glucose oxidase (GOX) is one of the most abundant salivary proteins in generalist caterpillar Helicoverpa zea. GOX has been hypothesized to benefit H. zea by modulating direct defense responses of plants. Although the function of this protein has been studied, its role remains unclear. The study aims to test the hypothesis that GOX induces similar defensive responses among Solanaceous plants

Insects provide key ecosystem services such as pollination, dung burial, soil enhancement, and pest control. Global insect decline requires restoration of the plant–insect mutualistic interactions. By using magnet plants, it is possible to supply beneficial insects with better resource availability and create more sustainable habitats. Current management practices recommend using Umbellifers (Apiales

The crofton weed, Ageratina adenophora, is one of the most invasive alien species in China. To investigate and clarify the defense strategy of A. adenophora under the feeding stress of polyphagous natural enemies, native and introduced A. adenophora populations were fed by different densities of Aphis gossypii (15, 30, 45, and 60 aphids/plant) for different feeding times (0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h),

Global warming not only alters phenology but also nutritional quality and defense compounds in plants, which consequently hinders their defense against herbivorous insects. In this study, the performance of Spodoptera litura was analyzed to observe the effects of high temperatures on chemical-based defense in plants in the context of insect–plant interaction. Results show that high temperature reduced

Plants respond to damage by herbivores or to reliable cues of damage by changing in ways that provide greater resistance and increase their fitness. Sagebrush has been a model system for understanding induced resistance, although resistance in this system is commonly assessed by quantifying damage at the end of the season; this measure is slow and lacks accuracy and interpretability because so many

Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus, can exist asymptomatically as an endophyte in many plants. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of B. bassiana colonization of tomato plants using different inoculation methods, and how colonization of the host plant affects the key pest of tomato, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. To confirm fungal colonization efficiency, nested PCR technique was

Beneficial plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere have been found to enhance plant growth and development. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a major group among these microbes, have been found to improve plant fitness through mycorrhizal symbiosis. Despite being well documented in various natural and domesticated study systems, few studies have examined whether AMF also has cascading effects

Many adult Lepidoptera nectar at flowers of plant species on which they also deposit their eggs. As a consequence, the same partner may act as both a pollinator and herbivore. How high are the costs associated with such herbivorous pollinators, relative to the potential benefits they confer? We addressed this question in the association between Datura wrightii (Solanaceae) and Manduca sexta (Sphingidae)

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) a highly polyphagous invasive pest from Asia, has become a major agricultural pest in the United States. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine nymph and adult BMSB preference for bell peppers of different colours (red, yellow, green, and orange). Peppers were presented to BMSB using a Dual Choice

The Gellechiid moth, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), causes severe problems in many tomato-growing regions worldwide. The present study investigated bottom-up effects under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% R.H., and 16 h L.P.) of six commercial tomato cultivars (‘Rio grand’, ‘Atrak’, ‘Super strain B’, ‘Unigen’, ‘King ston’, and ‘Estern’) on biological traits of this pest. The results obtained evaluated

As well as sugars to entice pollinators, nectar contains many other chemicals including amino acids and plant secondary compounds such as phenolics, alkaloids, and glycosides. Rather than simply the byproducts of plant metabolism or contamination by compounds meant to deter herbivory, it is clear that these chemicals may have important roles in nectar. Proposed functions of non-sugar components of

The pollination syndrome hypothesis has been under debate over the past decades. It is criticized as an oversimplification of complex interactions: its validity varies across plant families and depends on spatio-temporal variability of plant–pollinator interactions, yet exact patterns are unclear. We tested the pollination syndrome predictability in a case study of a psychophilous Afrotropical herb

Plant performance is based on the relationship between resource acquisition and allocation to complete essential functions. Herbivory causes compromises in resource allocation that impact at the plant and within-plant (sub-individual) levels. This impacts fruit display traits which in turn affect reproductive success and seed dispersal. Because leaf damage affects resource allocation, herbivory should

Floral guides are signal patterns that lead pollinators to floral rewards after they have located the flower, and increase foraging efficiency and pollen transfer. Patterns of several floral signalling modalities, particularly colour patterns, have been identified as being able to function as floral guides. Floral temperature frequently shows patterns that can be used by bumblebees for locating and

Campoletis chlorideae Uchida (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) is an important larval endoparasitoid of the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner). A better understanding of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) employed by C. chlorideae to locate hosts will contribute towards the biological control of this notorious crop pest. In this study, we first investigated the electrophysiological and