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Species-Specific Effects of Herbivory on the Oviposition Behavior of the Moth Manduca sexta

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Abstract

In Southwestern USA, the jimsonweed Datura wrightii and the nocturnal sphinx moth Manduca sexta form a pollinator-plant and herbivore-plant association. While certain plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) attract moths for oviposition, it is likely that other host-derived olfactory cues, such as herbivore-induced VOCs, repel moths for oviposition. Here, we studied the oviposition preference of female M. sexta towards intact and damaged host plants of three species: D. wrightii, D. discolor (a less preferred feeding resource but also used by females for oviposition), and Solanum lycopersicum–tomato–(used by moths as an oviposition resource only). Damage was inflicted to the plants either by larval feeding or artificial damage. Mated females were exposed to an intact plant and a damaged plant and allowed to lay eggs for 10 min. Oviposition preferences of females were highly heterogeneous in all cases, but a larger proportion of moths laid significantly fewer eggs on feeding-damaged and artificially damaged plants of S. lycopersicum. Many females also avoided feeding-damaged D. discolor and D. wrightii plants induced by treatment with methyl jasmonate. Chemical analyses showed a significant increase in the total amount of VOCs released by vegetative tissues of feeding-damaged plants, as well as species-specific increases in emission of certain VOCs. In particular, feeding-damaged S. lycopersicum plants emitted (-)-linalool, an odorant that repels moths for oviposition. Finally, the emission of D. wrightii floral VOCs, which are important in mediating feeding by adult moths (and hence pollination), did not change in plants damaged by larval feeding. We propose that the observed differential effects of herbivory on oviposition choice are due to different characteristics (i.e., mutually beneficial or parasitic) of the insect–plant interaction.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by a National Science Fundation-BIO IOS 0822709 grant to C.E.R. and J.A.R. The authors thank John G. Hildebrand for support in all aspects of this work, Abreeza Zeeger for help rearing the plants, and Suzzane Mackzum and Margaret Marez for rearing M. sexta. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers and the Editor for helpful comments and suggestions that greatly improved this manuscript.

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  1. Kristin Duffy

    Present address: Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA

  2. Adrien Pesque

    Present address: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA

  3. David Mikles

    Present address: Leonard Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, USA

  4. Brenna Goodwin

    Present address: University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, 1040 E. Fourth St., Gould-Simpson 611, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0077, USA

    Carolina E. Reisenman, Kristin Duffy, Adrien Pesque, David Mikles & Brenna Goodwin

  2. Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA

    Jeffrey A. Riffell

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  1. Carolina E. Reisenman
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Correspondence to Carolina E. Reisenman.

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Reisenman, C.E., Riffell, J.A., Duffy, K. et al. Species-Specific Effects of Herbivory on the Oviposition Behavior of the Moth Manduca sexta . J Chem Ecol 39, 76–89 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0228-1

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