In:
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, The Royal Society, Vol. 281, No. 1789 ( 2014-08-22), p. 20141254-
Abstract:
Evolutionary theory of plant defences against herbivores predicts a trade-off between direct (anti-herbivore traits) and indirect defences (attraction of carnivores) when carnivore fitness is reduced. Such a trade-off is expected in plant species that kill herbivore eggs by exhibiting a hypersensitive response (HR)-like necrosis, which should then negatively affect carnivores. We used the black mustard ( Brassica nigra ) to investigate how this potentially lethal direct trait affects preferences and/or performances of specialist cabbage white butterflies ( Pieris spp.), and their natural enemies, tiny egg parasitoid wasps ( Trichogramma spp.). Both within and between black mustard populations, we observed variation in the expression of Pieris egg-induced HR. Butterfly eggs on plants with HR-like necrosis suffered lower hatching rates and higher parasitism than eggs that did not induce the trait. In addition, Trichogramma wasps were attracted to volatiles of egg-induced plants that also expressed HR, and this attraction depended on the Trichogramma strain used. Consequently, HR did not have a negative effect on egg parasitoid survival. We conclude that even within a system where plants deploy lethal direct defences, such defences may still act with indirect defences in a synergistic manner to reduce herbivore pressure.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0962-8452
,
1471-2954
DOI:
10.1098/rspb.2014.1254
Language:
English
Publisher:
The Royal Society
Publication Date:
2014
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1460975-7
SSG:
12
SSG:
25
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