Abstract
To determine the impact of α-tomatine at the third trophic level, the following model was developed:Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson, the secondary consumer, acting onHeliothis zea (Boddie), the primary consumer, fed an artificial diet modified with α-tomatine. In vitro, the allelochemical inhibited colony formation and growth of the fungus. The in vivo test revealed that larval growth and developmental time were affected by α-tomatine andN. rileyi. Detrimental effects on pupal development were observed in larvae fed diet containing α-tomatine and also treated withN. rileyi (LC90). The fungus was detected in the hemolymph and tissue of larvae treated with two lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) ofN. rileyi, including those fed α-tomatine. At the LC50, α-tomatine protected larvae againstN. rileyi and increased survivorship; at the LC90, it inhibited the development ofN. rileyi, thereby reducing production of conidia. Thus, the allelochemical α-tomatine retains its antifungal qualities beyond the second trophic level, inhibiting the development ofN. rileyi inH. zea.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arneson, P.A., andDurbin, R.D. 1968. Studies on the mode of action of tomatine as a fungitoxic agent.Plant Physiol. 43:683–686.
Barbosa, P., andSaunders, J.A. 1984. Plant allelochemicals: Lineage between herbivores and their natural enemies.Phytochem. Soc. North Am. Newslett. 24:23 (abstract).
Barbosa, P.,Saunders, J.A., andWaldvogel, M. 1982. Plant mediated variation in herbivore suitability and parasitoid fitness. Proceedings, 5th International Symposium on Plant-Insect Relationships. Wageningen, pp. 63–71.
Boucias, D.G., Bradford, L.D., andBarfield, C.S. 1984. Susceptibility of the velvetbean caterpillar and soybean looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) toNomumea rileyi: Effects of pathotype, dosage, temperature, and host age.J. Econ. Entomol. 77:247–53.
Burton, R.L. 1969. Mass-rearing of the corn earworm in the laboratory. U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Service (Report) ARS 33–134.
Campbell, B.C., andDuffey, S.S. 1981. Alleviation of α-tomatine induced toxicity to the parasitoid,Hyposoter exiguae, by phytosterols in the diet of the host,Heliothis zea.J. Chem. Ecol. 7:927–946.
Carruthers, R.I., andSoper, R.S. 1987. Fungal diseases, pp. 357–416,in J.R. Fuxa and Y. Tanada (eds.). Epizootiology of Insect Diseases. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Costa, S.D., andGaugler, R.R. 1989. Sensitivity ofBeauveria bassiana to solanine and tomatine: Plant defensive chemicals inhibit an insect pathogen.J. Chem. Ecol. 15:697–707.
Défago, G., andKern, H. 1983. Induction ofFusarium solani mutants insensitive to tomatine, their pathogenicity and aggressiveness to tomato fruits and pea plants.Physiol. Plant Pathol. 22:29–37.
Duffey, S.S., Bloem, K.A., andCampbell, B.C. 1986. Consequences of sequestration of plant natural products in plant-insect-parasitoid interactions, pp. 31–61,in D.J. Boethel and R.D. Eikenbary (eds.). Interactions of Plant Resistance and Parasitoids and Predators of Insects. Ellis Horwood Limited, London, England.
Gardner, W.A. 1985. Effects of temperature on the susceptibility ofHeliothis zea larvae toNomuraea rileyi.J. Invertebr. Pathol. 46:348–349.
Hare, J.D., andAndreadis, T.G. 1983. Variation in the susceptibility ofLeptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) when reared on different host plants to the fungal pathogen,Beauveria bassiana in the field and laboratory.Environ. Entomol. 12:1892–1897.
Krischik, V.A., Barbosa, P., andReichelderfer, C.F. 1988. Three trophic level interactions: Allelocheniicals,Manduca sexta (L.) andBacillus thuringiensis var.kurstaki Berliner.Environ. Entomol. 17:476–482.
Mohamed, A.K.A., Sikorowski, P.P., andBell, J.V. 1978. Histopathology ofNomuraea rileyi in larvae ofHeliothis zea and in vitro enzymatic activity.J. Invertebr. Pathol. 31:345–352.
Ramoska, W.A., andTodd, T. 1985. Variation in efficacy and viability ofBeauveria bassiana in the chinch bug (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) as a result of feeding activity on selected host plants.Environ. Entomol. 14:146–148.
Roddick, J.G. 1974. The steroidal glycoalkaloid tomatine.Phytochemistry 13:9–25.
Roddick, J.G. 1979. Complex formation between solanaceous steroidal glycoalkaloids and free sterols in vitro.Phytochemistry 18:1467–1470.
SAS Institute. 1985. SAS/STAT; guide for personal computers. SAS, Institute, Cary, North Carolina.
Schlosser, E. 1975. Role of saponins in antifungal resistance. III. Tomatine dependent development of fruit rot organism of tomato fruits.Z. Pflanzenkr. Pflanzenschutz 82:476–484.
Thurston, R., andFox, P.M. 1972. Inhibition by nicotine of emergence ofApanteles congregatus from its host, the tobacco hornworm.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 65:547–550.
Wigglesworth, V.B. 1972. The Principles of Insect Physiology. Chapman and Hall, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gallardo, F., Boethel, D.J., Fuxa, J.R. et al. Susceptibility ofHeliothis zea (Boddie) larvae toNomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson. J Chem Ecol 16, 1751–1759 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01020492
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01020492