Abstract
Key message
Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata altered the expression of secondary metabolites in response to Paropsis atomaria larval feeding and mechanical wounding but did not alter leaf toughness and leaf trichomes.
Abstract
Plants have evolved strategies against herbivore pressure, relying on constitutive or induced traits that create physical and chemical barriers, which may influence herbivore performance. We evaluated the physical and chemical responses of Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata, an important hardwood plantation taxon, to feedings by Paropsis atomaria larvae, a pest that causes severe defoliation in young trees. This was undertaken to obtain insights into plant–herbivore interactions, aiming to identify parameters that may improve plant fitness and/or protection that may benefit pest management in forestry plantations. Seedlings of C. citriodora subsp. variegata were submitted to the following treatments: no damage, mechanical wounding, and P. atomaria larval feeding damage. Foliar samples were collected during and after treatment at day 15 and 22, respectively, from damaged and undamaged leaves to detect: local, systemic, or delayed induced responses. Leaf samples were analysed to determine whether there were induced physical (leaf toughness, trichome density) or chemical (secondary metabolite profiles) responses to damage. No physical response in any of the treatments was evident in C. citriodora subsp. variegata foliage at day 15 or 22. Systemic chemical responses were observed for the larval feeding and mechanical treatments, with, a delayed response evident in the larval feeding treatment only. The proportion of long chain hydrocarbons were reduced in these treatments relative to the control, whereas the proportion of monounsaturated hydrocarbons and monoterpenes increased. When analysed across treatments, larval mortality was negatively correlated with long chain hydrocarbons and positively correlated with monounsaturated hydrocarbons. These findings suggest that CCV systemic chemical responses induced by both larval feeding and mechanical damage but only larval feeding induced delayed response, suggesting that CCV responses to herbivory may be associated with plant defence strategies.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr Manon Griffiths and Ngoc Hoan Le for assisting with the insect collection for this study, and Dr Mervyn Shepherd (Southern Cross University) for the pre-submission review of this manuscript. This work was supported by University of the Sunshine Coast International Research Scholarship (USCIRS) awarded to FSB.
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FSB, RAH, HFN and DJL conceived and planned the experiments. FSB carried out the experiments, measurements and carried out sample preparation. FSB, RAH, HFN and DJL contributed to the analyses and interpretation of the results. FSB drafted the manuscript, and all authors provided critical feedback and helped shape the research, analysis and manuscript.
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Bonora, F.S., Hayes, R.A., Nahrung, H.F. et al. Paropsis atomaria larval feeding induces a chemical but not a physical response in Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata. Trees 35, 863–873 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02086-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02086-y