Abstract
According to the theory of optimal foraging and preference–performance hypothesis, herbivores usually select plant hosts that benefit themselves or their offspring. We investigated the hypothesis that gravid females of the cucurbit beetle Diabrotica speciosa use volatiles derived from non-infested maize plants and herbivore-infested plants under attack by their conspecific immatures and adults in selecting a host for oviposition. The response of D. speciosa females to volatiles was quantified for the following treatments: (i) non-infested plants; (ii) plants infested by larvae (root-infested); (iii) plants infested by adults (leaf-infested); and (iv) plants infested by larvae and adults (leaf + root-infested). We also assessed if females were able to identify conditions of competition and host adequacy for offspring by means of chemical cues emitted by these plants. The results indicated that the presence of D. speciosa conspecifics on maize plants triggered the emission of volatiles, which influenced host selection for oviposition. Gravid females avoided both plants infested by larvae and plants infested by larvae and adults. Leaf-infested plants did not affect the host-selection behavior of females. Weight gain was higher in larvae kept on non-infested and leaf-infested plants than on root-infested or root + leaf-infested plants, indicating that female preference is related to its offspring performance.
Graphical Abstract
Synthesis of the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by uninfested, leaf-infested, root-infested and leaf+root-infested corn plants on the host-choice behavior of adults and performance of Diabrotica speciosa larvae
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Data availability
The dataset supporting the results of this study is available upon request to the corresponding author (caroline_rech@outlook.com).
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Funding
This research was supported by the National Institute of Science and Technology – Semiochemicals in Agriculture (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico grants #2014/50871-0 and #465511/2014-7, respectively). Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, #2014/50871-0, Crisitane Nardi, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, #465511/2014-7, Crisitane Nardi
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Methods, checking, and original draft preparation, CN, MFGVP, and FS; revision and editing, CR and JRFO; statistical analyses, FS; formal analyses and revision, MFGVP and JMSB.
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Nardi, C., Rech, C., Oliveira, J.R.F. et al. Preference-performance hypothesis and host oviposition selection of Diabrotica speciosa: aboveground female avoids belowground conspecific larvae in maize. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 17, 629–638 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-023-09972-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-023-09972-x