QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hilker, M. Articles by Schrank, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hilker, M. Articles by Schrank, K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 455-461 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

Insect egg deposition induces Pinus sylvestris to attract egg parasitoids

Monika Hilker^1,*, Carsten Kobs¹, Martti Varama² and Kai Schrank¹

¹ Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Strasse 9, D-12163 Berlin, Germany and
² Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, PO Box 18, FIN-01301 Vantaa, Finland

*e-mail: hilker{at}zedat.fu-berlin.de

Accepted 29 November 2001

Plant volatiles released in response to feeding insects are known to attract enemies of the feeding herbivores. In this study, egg deposition by a herbivorous insect was shown to induce a gymnosperm plant to emit volatiles that attract egg parasitoids. Odour from twigs of Pinus sylvestris laden with egg masses of the pine sawfly Diprion pini attracts the eulophid egg parasitoid Chrysonotomyia ruforum. Volatiles released from pine twigs without diprionid eggs are not attractive. Oviposition by the sawfly onto pine needles induces not only a local response in pine needles laden with eggs but also a systemic reaction. Needles without eggs but adjacent to those bearing diprionid eggs also release the volatiles that attract the egg parasitoid. The elicitor of the attractive volatiles was shown to be present in the oviduct secretion coating the eggs of D. pini. When pine twigs are treated with jasmonic acid, a well-known plant wound signal, they emit volatiles that attract the egg parasitoid. These results show, for the first time, that a gymnosperm plant is able to attract parasitoids as soon as a herbivore has deposited its eggs on it. Thus, the plant appears to defend itself against herbivores prior to being damaged by feeding larvae.

Key words: induced plant response, induced defence, oviposition, insect/plant interaction, herbivore, sawfly, Diprionidae, Diprion pini, parasitoid, Eulophidae, Chrysonotomyia ruforum, Pinus sylvestris.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. E. Fatouros, M. Dicke, R. Mumm, T. Meiners, and M. Hilker Foraging behavior of egg parasitoids exploiting chemical information Behav. Ecol., February 27, 2008; (2008) arn011v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Schroder, S. M. Cristescu, F. J. M. Harren, and M. Hilker Reduction of ethylene emission from Scots pine elicited by insect egg secretion J. Exp. Bot., May 1, 2007; 58(7): 1835 - 1842. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Little, C. Gouhier-Darimont, F. Bruessow, and P. Reymond Oviposition by Pierid Butterflies Triggers Defense Responses in Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, February 1, 2007; 143(2): 784 - 800. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Faucher, M. Forstreuter, M. Hilker, and M. de Bruyne Behavioral responses of Drosophila to biogenic levels of carbon dioxide depend on life-stage, sex and olfactory context J. Exp. Biol., July 15, 2006; 209(14): 2739 - 2748. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Byun-McKay, K.-A. Godard, M. Toudefallah, D. M. Martin, R. Alfaro, J. King, J. Bohlmann, and A. L. Plant Wound-Induced Terpene Synthase Gene Expression in Sitka Spruce That Exhibit Resistance or Susceptibility to Attack by the White Pine Weevil Plant Physiology, March 1, 2006; 140(3): 1009 - 1021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Hilker, C. Stein, R. Schroder, M. Varama, and R. Mumm Insect egg deposition induces defence responses in Pinus sylvestris: characterisation of the elicitor J. Exp. Biol., May 15, 2005; 208(10): 1849 - 1854. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Mumm and M. Hilker The Significance of Background Odour for an Egg Parasitoid to Detect Plants with Host Eggs Chem Senses, May 1, 2005; 30(4): 337 - 343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Schroder, M. Forstreuter, and M. Hilker A Plant Notices Insect Egg Deposition and Changes Its Rate of Photosynthesis Plant Physiology, May 1, 2005; 138(1): 470 - 477. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Pophof, G. Stange, and L. Abrell Volatile Organic Compounds as Signals in a Plant-Herbivore System: Electrophysiological Responses in Olfactory Sensilla of the Moth Cactoblastis cactorum Chem Senses, January 1, 2005; 30(1): 51 - 68. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Miller, L. L. Madilao, S. Ralph, and J. Bohlmann Insect-Induced Conifer Defense. White Pine Weevil and Methyl Jasmonate Induce Traumatic Resinosis, de Novo Formed Volatile Emissions, and Accumulation of Terpenoid Synthase and Putative Octadecanoid Pathway Transcripts in Sitka Spruce Plant Physiology, January 1, 2005; 137(1): 369 - 382. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Colazza, A. Fucarino, E. Peri, G. Salerno, E. Conti, and F. Bin Insect oviposition induces volatile emission in herbaceous plants that attracts egg parasitoids J. Exp. Biol., January 1, 2004; 207(1): 47 - 53. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. M. Martin, J. Gershenzon, and J. Bohlmann Induction of Volatile Terpene Biosynthesis and Diurnal Emission by Methyl Jasmonate in Foliage of Norway Spruce Plant Physiology, July 1, 2003; 132(3): 1586 - 1599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]