In order to mount a successful defence, plants must specifically recognize the threat (microbe vs. herbivore), elicit the appropriate signalling pathway (e.g. salicylic acid vs. jasmonic acid) and mount the proper defence. As effective counterploys, herbivores may disrupt defence signalling to suppress defences, detoxify defences, or even sequester these defences in their bodies to avoid toxicity. Our current research has focused on salivary effectors that disrupt plant defence signalling. Our hypothesis is that, as an alternative counterploy, some herbivores may present themselves in ‘disguise’ and thus avoid proper detection. We believe this alternative counterploy has been overlooked, but that it may represent a commonly used strategy by certain herbivores. Emerging evidence suggest that some herbivores may actively deposit microbes in their oral secretions on plants, and thus be ‘mistakenly’ recognized as microbes. Consequently, plants turn on the incorrect signalling pathway and express defences that are ineffective against these intruders.
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