Abstract
Abstract Multitrophic plant–insect interactions are mediated by plant volatiles. The emission of herbivore‐induced plant volatiles is influenced by environmental conditions, such as soil microbes and nutrient composition, with consequences for above‐ground trophic interactions. Here, we investigated whether insect exuviae in the soil alter the plant's volatile blend and attraction of parasitoids in the laboratory and whether this attraction also occurs in the field. We studied the effects of soil amendment with exuviae originating from three insect species, Tenebrio molitor , Acheta domesticus and Hermetia illucens , on the proportion of parasitised Plutella xylostella caterpillars and Brevicoryne brassicae aphids in the field in three consecutive years. In the laboratory, we collected and analysed the volatile blend of amended plants infested with caterpillars or aphids. The attraction of the parasitoids Diadegma semiclausum and Diaeretiella rapae , respectively, towards these volatile blends was assessed in an olfactometer. Our study shows that insect exuviae‐amended soil enhanced the proportion of parasitised herbivores of two species in the field. Relative amounts of several components of the plant volatile blend were affected by soil amendment. Soil amendment with Acheta domesticus or Tenebrio molitor exuviae resulted in an increased attraction of the two parasitoid species in the olfactometer. Soil amendment with insect exuviae altered the plant volatile blend leading to enhanced attraction of parasitoids in laboratory assays. These effects were sustained under the complex and variable biotic and abiotic conditions in the field. Our results underline the importance of belowground processes, such as the decomposition of insect exuviae, on aboveground volatile‐mediated multitrophic interactions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Exuviae-amended soil enhanced parasitism of Plutella xylostella in the field.
- Taxon
- Plutella xylostella
Plutella xylostellae1 - Treatment
- insect exuviae‐amended soile0
- Interactor
- Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleraceat0host - Outcome
- proportion of parasitised Plutella xylostella caterpillarse1
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Setting
- fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our study shows that insect exuviae‐amended soil enhanced the proportion of parasitised herbivores of two species in the field.”
e1“on the proportion of parasitised Plutella xylostella caterpillars and Brevicoryne brassicae aphids in the field”
t0“Brassica oleracea”
Claim · model-written summary
Exuviae-amended soil enhanced parasitism of Brevicoryne brassicae in the field.
- Taxon
- Brevicoryne brassicae
.jpg?width=60)
Brevicoryne brassicaee1 - Treatment
- insect exuviae‐amended soile0
- Interactor
- Brassica oleraceaBrassica oleraceat0host
- Outcome
- proportion of parasitised herbivorese0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Setting
- fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Our study shows that insect exuviae‐amended soil enhanced the proportion of parasitised herbivores of two species in the field.”
e1“on the proportion of parasitised Plutella xylostella caterpillars and Brevicoryne brassicae aphids in the field”
t0“Brassica oleracea”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil amendment affected relative amounts of plant volatile components.
- Taxon
- Brassica oleraceaBrassica oleraceat0
- Treatment
- soil amendmente0
- Outcome
- Relative amounts of several components of the plant volatile blende0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Relative amounts of several components of the plant volatile blend were affected by soil amendment.”
t0“Brassica oleracea”
Claim · model-written summary
Acheta domesticus exuviae increased attraction of Diadegma semiclausum.
- Taxon
- Diadegma semiclausum
Diadegma semiclausume1 - Treatment
- Acheta domesticuse0
- Outcome
- attractione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Setting
- olfactometere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil amendment with Acheta domesticus or Tenebrio molitor exuviae resulted in an increased attraction of the two parasitoid species in the olfactometer.”
e1“The attraction of the parasitoids Diadegma semiclausum and Diaeretiella rapae , respectively, towards these volatile blends was assessed in an olfactometer.”
Claim · model-written summary
Acheta domesticus exuviae increased attraction of Diaeretiella rapae.
- Taxon
- Diaeretiella rapae
Diaeretiella rapaee1 - Treatment
- Acheta domesticuse0
- Outcome
- attractione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Setting
- olfactometere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil amendment with Acheta domesticus or Tenebrio molitor exuviae resulted in an increased attraction of the two parasitoid species in the olfactometer.”
e1“The attraction of the parasitoids Diadegma semiclausum and Diaeretiella rapae , respectively, towards these volatile blends was assessed in an olfactometer.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tenebrio molitor exuviae increased attraction of Diadegma semiclausum.
- Taxon
- Diadegma semiclausumDiadegma semiclausume1
- Treatment
- Tenebrio molitor exuviaee0
- Outcome
- attractione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Setting
- olfactometere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil amendment with Acheta domesticus or Tenebrio molitor exuviae resulted in an increased attraction of the two parasitoid species in the olfactometer.”
e1“The attraction of the parasitoids Diadegma semiclausum and Diaeretiella rapae , respectively, towards these volatile blends was assessed in an olfactometer.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tenebrio molitor exuviae increased attraction of Diaeretiella rapae.
- Taxon
- Diaeretiella rapaeDiaeretiella rapaee1
- Treatment
- Tenebrio molitor exuviaee0
- Outcome
- attractione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Setting
- olfactometere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil amendment with Acheta domesticus or Tenebrio molitor exuviae resulted in an increased attraction of the two parasitoid species in the olfactometer.”
e1“The attraction of the parasitoids Diadegma semiclausum and Diaeretiella rapae , respectively, towards these volatile blends was assessed in an olfactometer.”
Claim · model-written summary
Exuviae-induced volatile blend changes led to enhanced parasitoid attraction.
- Taxon
- Brassica oleraceaBrassica oleraceat0
- Treatment
- Soil amendment with insect exuviaee0
- Interactor
- parasitoidse0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- enhanced attraction of parasitoidse0
- Qualifier
- altered the plant volatile blende0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil amendment with insect exuviae altered the plant volatile blend leading to enhanced attraction of parasitoids in laboratory assays.”
t0“Brassica oleracea”