A parasitoid’s dilemma between food and host resources: the role of volatiles from nectar-providing marigolds and host-infested plants attracting Aphidius platensis

The use of nectar-producing companion plants in crops is a well-known strategy of conserving natural enemies in biological control. However, the role of floral volatiles in attracting parasitoids and effects on host location via herbivore-induced plant volatiles is poorly known. Here, we examined th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Die Naturwissenschaften 2022-02, Vol.109 (1), p.9-9, Article 9
Main Authors: Souza, Ivana Lemos, Silva, Diego Bastos, Silveira, Luís Cláudio Paterno, Bento, José Maurício Simões, Peñaflor, Maria Fernanda Gomes Villalba, Marucci, Rosangela Cristina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allelochemicals
Animals
Aphidius platensis
Aphids
Biological control
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Capsicum annuum
Chemical composition
Composition
Crop management
Crops
Ecology
Entomology
Environment
Flowers & plants
Food
Herbivores
Herbivory
Host location
Host plants
Host-Parasite Interactions
Hymenoptera
Insects
Life Sciences
Marigolds
Myzus persicae
Natural enemies
Nectar
Olfactometers
Original Article
Parasitoids
Peppers
Plant Nectar
Tagetes
Tagetes erecta
Taxonomy
Terpenes
Vegetables
VOCs
Volatile compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatiles
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Summary:The use of nectar-producing companion plants in crops is a well-known strategy of conserving natural enemies in biological control. However, the role of floral volatiles in attracting parasitoids and effects on host location via herbivore-induced plant volatiles is poorly known. Here, we examined the role of floral volatiles from marigold ( Tagetes erecta ), alone or in combination with volatiles from sweet pepper plant ( Capsicum annuum ), in recruiting Aphidius platensis , an important parasitoid of the green peach aphid Myzus persicae . We also investigated whether marigold floral volatiles are more attractive to the parasitoid than those emitted by sweet pepper plants infested by M . persicae . Olfactometry assays indicated that floral volatiles attracted A . platensis to the marigold plant and are more attractive than sweet pepper plant volatiles. However, volatiles emitted by aphid-infested sweet pepper were as attractive to the parasitoid as those of uninfested or aphid-infested blooming marigold. The composition of volatile blends released by uninfested and aphid-infested plants differed between both blooming marigold and sweet pepper, but the parasitoid did not discriminate aphid-infested from uninfested blooming marigold. Volatile released from blooming marigold and sweet pepper shared several compounds, but that of blooming marigold contained larger amounts of fatty-acid derivatives and a different composition of terpenes. We discuss the potential implications of the aphid parasitoid attraction in a diversified crop management strategy.
ISSN:0028-1042
1432-1904
DOI:10.1007/s00114-021-01780-8