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  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    The induction of volatile emissions in maize by three herbivore species with different feeding habits: Possible consequences for their natural enemies
    (: Academic Press Inc, 1998) ;
    Bernasconi, Marco
    ;
    Bertossa, Rinaldo
    ;
    Bigler, Franz
    ;
    Caloz, Genevieve
    ;
    Dorn, Silvia
    In order to find their prey natural enemies of herbivores often make effective use of plant volatiles that are emitted by plants on which the herbivores have been feeding. The phenomenon of herbivore-induced emissions of attractants has been well investigated for mite-plant interactions and for interactions between leaf feeding caterpillars and plants. Herbivore-induced emissions of chemical signals appear to be common in plants, but little is known about induction by herbivores that have different feeding habits. We obtained more knowledge on this by comparing the volatile emissions induced in maize plants by a folivorous caterpillar (Spodoptera littoralis), a stemborer (Ostrinia nubilalis), and an aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis). As controls we also measured the emissions of healthy, undamaged plants and plants that were mechanically damaged and then treated with caterpillar regurgitate. Volatiles were collected twice daily for 2 h over a 3-day period after initial infestation or mechanical damage. Quantitatively, the plants infested with S. littoralis emitted by far the most. Their emissions started several hours after initial damage, lasted for the 3 days, and were the highest on the third day. The volatile profile was the same for the regurgitate-treated plants, but here the emissions dropped rapidly after the first day. The plants infested by O. nubilalis emitted the same blend of volatiles, but in much lower quantities, In addition to the known induced maize volatiles, the Ostrinia-damaged plants emitted some highly volatile, still unidentified compounds, which may be specific for the frass of this insect or emitted from the damaged plant stem. The aphids induced no measurable emissions of volatiles in the maize, even after heavy infestation. This is perhaps because several aphids, including R. maidis, barely damage the plant cells, and may not trigger a plant response. These findings suggest that induction of volatiles is the result of cell tissue damage, particularly to the leaves of the plant. This should have consequences also for the search strategies employed by the natural enemies of the respective herbivores, It can be expected that enemies of stemborers use some highly volatile compounds in addition to the known induced compounds. Natural enemies of some aphids may have to resort to other foraging cues, as the plant appears to provide them with no or very little olfactory information. (C) 1998 Academic Press.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Timing of induced volatile emissions in maize seedlings
    (1998) ;
    Lengwiler, Urs
    ;
    Bernasconi, Marco
    ;
    Wechsler, Daniel
    Maize (Zea mays L.) releases specific volatiles in response to herbivory by caterpillars. These volatiles are known to serve as cues for parasitic wasps to locate the herbivores. In the present study the exact time of volatile emission after simulated herbivory (mechanical damage and treatment with caterpillar regurgitant) was measured for seedlings of the cultivars "Ioana Sweet Corn" and "LG11". Odours were collected every 0.5 h for a total of 12 h. Typical "green leaf odours", (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-hexen-1-ol, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, were emitted immediately upon damage and their amounts dropped rapidly after the first collections. Several of the induced compounds were released within 2 h after treatment, while others (mainly sesquiterpenoids) started to be released after 4 h. The LG11 seedlings emitted several compounds (e.g. beta-myrcene, (Z)-beta-ocimene, benzyl acetate, beta-caryophyllene, (E,E)-alpha-farnesene) that were not detected for Ioana. (E, E)-alpha-farnesene was continuously emitted by LG11 seedlings, even by undamaged plants. Timing of the release of volatile compounds that the two varieties had in common did not differ significantly, with the exception of indole for which the peak production was considerably earlier for LG11. These findings are discussed in the context of biosynthetic pathways and mechanisms involved in induced emissions of plant volatiles and the exploitation of the resulting odour by parasitoids and predators of herbivores.