Unprecedented oviposition tactics avoid plant defences and reduce attack by parasitic wasps

Shi, Jin-Hua, Sun, Ze, Pickett, John A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1008-6595, Hu, Xin-Jun, Wang, Chao, Liu, Le, Jin, Huanan, Abdelnabby, Hazem, Foba, Caroline Ngichop, Yang, Xue-Qing, Chang, Xiang-Qian and Wang, Man-Qun 2024. Unprecedented oviposition tactics avoid plant defences and reduce attack by parasitic wasps. Plant, Cell and Environment 47 (1) , pp. 308-318. 10.1111/pce.14731

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Abstract

Female insects oviposit in sites suitable for the development of their offspring. The Oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata is a serious pest of various crops including wheat and prefers to oviposit on withered leaves rather than on fresh plant material, which is surprisingly different from other insects. Studies here showed that this oviposition tactic enables avoidance of wheat defence against eggs and emerged larvae. Intact plants responded to M. separata egg deposition by releasing oviposition-induced plant volatiles including acetophenone, tetradecene and pentadecane after 24 h. Acetophenone was identified as quantitatively accounting for the attraction of the egg parasitoid wasp (Trichogramma chilonis). Leaf jasmonic acid levels significantly increased after M. separata laid eggs, and primed the plant against emerging larvae. In addition, newly emerged M. separata larvae adopted a fast crawling behaviour and starvation tolerance compared with other noctuid larvae, which enhanced the survival of larvae on the withered leaves. The elucidation of this complex and surprising plant-insect interaction provides the first explanation for a herbivore laying eggs on withered leaves to avoid natural enemies and live-plant defence against emerging larvae.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Chemistry
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0140-7791
Funders:	National Key Research and Development Program of China
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 December 2023
Date of Acceptance:	26 September 2023
Last Modified:	07 Nov 2024 19:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/164807

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