Seed-borne microorganisms stimulate seedcorn maggot egg laying

Phytoalexins from Brassica (Cruciferae) as oviposition stimulants for the cabbage root fly, Delia radicum

“…Erwinia caroto6ora and bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas have been found to stimulate or synergise oviposition in two Delia species (Delia platura: Eckenrode et al 1975;Hough-Goldstein & Bassler 1988;Delia antiqua: Hausmann & Miller 1989). In addition, other bacteria have been shown to be associated with the maggots of different Delia flies (cit.…”

The influence of odour on the oviposition behaviour of the cabbage root fly

“…Interesting in this respect is the suggestion by Baur et al (1998) that micro-organisms in the roots of the host plant could be important to the feeding larvae and might produce volatiles which stimulate oviposition in the adult flies. Such an association with micro-organisms has been reported for the onion fly (Hausmann & Miller 1989) and the bean-seed fly (Eckenrode et al 1975, Hough-Goldstein & Bassler 1988. No relation between larval development and the presence of bacteria has been demonstrated for the cabbage root fly (Doane & Chapman 1964), but this species does prefer to lay eggs on substrates where micro-organisms are present (Ellis et al 1982).…”

“…The mechanisms involved in finding the host plant and in acceptance by the female flies seem to vary in different species. The onion fly, for example, apparently depends mainly on olfaction, while the polyphagous bean-seed fly does not seem to respond to host-specific olfactory or visual stimuli and oviposits in moist organic soil (Barlow 1965) where microorganisms are active (Eckenrode et al 1975). Cabbage root fly females, on the other hand, rely mainly on non-volatile chemical cues on the plant surface.…”

Insect Pheromones: A Critical Review of Recent Advances in Their Chemistry, Biology, and Application

“…It has been assumed that the stimulus for oviposition was provided by the germinating seeds. However, ECKENRODE et al (431) found that significantly fewer eggs were laid on microbe-free squash seeds than on regular non-sterile seeds. The most effective microbial elicitors of oviposition were a Pseudomonas sp.…”