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Herbivory Increases Fruit Set in Silene latifolia: A Consequence of Induced Pollinator-Attracting Floral Volatiles?

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Abstract

Although the effect of herbivory on plant reproduction has been investigated in some detail, little is known about how herbivores affect floral signalling. Here, we investigated the effect of foliar herbivory by the African Cotton Leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) on floral signalling and fruit set in the White Campion (Silene latifolia). We found no effects of herbivory on floral traits involved in visual signalling (flower number, corolla diameter, calyx length, petal length) or in amount of nectar produced. However, Spodoptera-infested plants emitted higher amounts of the two floral volatiles, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and β-ocimene, than control plants. Open pollinated, infested plants also were found to produce more fruits than control plants, but only with nocturnal pollinators. Experimental addition of the two induced floral volatiles to non-infested Silene flowers also led to the production of more fruits with nocturnal pollination. This suggests that higher fruit production in herbivore-infested plants was caused by increased nocturnal pollinator attraction, mediated by the induced floral emission of these two volatiles. Our results show that the effects of herbivory on plant reproductive success are not necessarily detrimental, as plants can compensate herbivory with increased investment in pollinator attraction.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Anna Salatiello and Giovanna Dati for help with conducting experiments. David Carrasco from Swedish University of Agricultural Science provided the Spodoptera larvae used in this study. This research was funded by the CRN-InvaVol grant and POR-Campania BIP to SC and SF and by Swiss National Science Funds (SNF/ESF grant no. 31VL30_134416 to FPS, embedded in the Eurocores Invavol program).

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Author notes

  1. Judith Trunschke

    Present address: Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, Via Madonna del Piano, 10, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy

    Salvatore Cozzolino, Silvia Fineschi & Giovanni Scopece

  2. Department of Biology, University Federico II, Complesso Universitario MSA, via Cinthia, I-80126, Naples, Italy

    Salvatore Cozzolino, Maria Litto & Giovanni Scopece

  3. Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008, Zürich, Switzerland

    Judith Trunschke & Florian P. Schiestl

Authors
  1. Salvatore Cozzolino
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  2. Silvia Fineschi
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  3. Maria Litto
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  4. Giovanni Scopece
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Correspondence to Salvatore Cozzolino.

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Cozzolino, S., Fineschi, S., Litto, M. et al. Herbivory Increases Fruit Set in Silene latifolia: A Consequence of Induced Pollinator-Attracting Floral Volatiles?. J Chem Ecol 41, 622–630 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-015-0597-3

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