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Analysis of Volatiles Induced by Oviposition of Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola on Ulmus minor

Journal of Chemical Ecology volume 27, pages 499–515 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Egg deposition of the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola causes the emission of volatiles from its food plant, Ulmus minor. These volatiles are exploited by the egg parasitoid, Oomyzus gallerucae, to locate its host. In contrast to other tritrophic systems, the release of volatiles is not induced by feeding but by egg deposition. Previous investigations showed that the release is systemic and can be triggered by jasmonic acid. Comparison of headspace analysis revealed similarities in the blend of volatiles emitted following egg deposition and feeding. The mixture consists of more than 40 compounds; most of the substances are terpenoids. Leaves next to those carrying eggs emit fewer compounds. When treated with jasmonic acid, leaves emit a blend that consists almost exclusively of terpenoids. Dichloromethane extracts of leaves treated with jasmonic acid were also investigated. After separation of extracts of jasmonate induced elm leaves on silica, we obtained a fraction of terpenoid hydrocarbons that was attractive to the parasitoids. This indicates that jasmonic acid stimulates the production of terpenoid hydrocarbons that convey information of egg deposition to the parasitoid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Robert Wegener & Stefan Schulz

  2. Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany

    Torsten Meiners, Katja Hadwich & Monika Hilker

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  1. Robert Wegener
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  2. Stefan Schulz
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  3. Torsten Meiners
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  4. Katja Hadwich
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  5. Monika Hilker
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Wegener, R., Schulz, S., Meiners, T. et al. Analysis of Volatiles Induced by Oviposition of Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola on Ulmus minor. J Chem Ecol 27, 499–515 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010397107740

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010397107740

  • Egg parasitoid
  • synomones
  • plant defense
  • systemic induction
  • jasmonic acid
  • Ulmus minor
  • elm leaf beetle
  • Oomyzus gallerucae
  • sesquiterpenes