The Effect of Mirid Density on Volatile-Mediated Foraging Behaviour of Apolygus lucorum and Peristenus spretus

Abstract

Plants would release herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) to repel herbivores and attract natural enemies after being damaged by herbivores. In this study, after cotton plants were damaged by different densities of Apolygus lucorum, the behavioral responses of A. lucorum and Peristenus spretus to cotton plants volatiles were evaluated, and the quality and quantity of volatiles from cotton plants were analyzed. Only when cotton plants were damaged by four bugs did both A. lucorum and P. spretus show an obvious response to damaged cotton plants, which indicates that cotton defense is correlated with pest density. The collection and analysis of volatiles reveals that the increase in pest density results in the emission of new compounds and an increase in the total number of volatiles with an alteration in proportions among the compounds in the blend. These changes in volatile profiles might provide wasps and mirids with specific information on host habitat quality and thus could explain the behavioral responses of parasitoids and pests.

Behavioral Responses of Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean Cryptic Species to Three Host Plants and Their Volatiles

“…The collection apparatus for volatile emitted by pre-flowering, fluorescence, and fruiting stages of the three plants mentioned above involved a dynamic headspace collection system [ 17 ]. For volatiles, analysis plants along with the complete root system were recovered from the posts, and after wrapping the root in the aluminum foil, plants were transferred individually to 10 L cylindrical glass chambers.…”