Abstract
In recent years, increasing attention has been paid in exploring the role of direct plant defence, through the production of allelochemicals, on the performance of parasitoid wasps and their hosts. However, few studies have determined if parasitoids can detect differences in plant quality and thus preferentially attack hosts on which their progeny develop most successfully. In this study we examined the development and preference of two endoparasitoids, Diadegma semiclausum and Cotesia glomerata , developing in larvae of their respective hosts, Plutella xylostella and Pieris brassicae . In turn, these were reared on different wild populations of black mustard Brassica nigra originating in the Netherlands and Sicily (Italy), as well as single cultivated strains of B. nigra and brown mustard, B. juncea . Chemical analyses of foliar glucosinolates and volatile emissions by P. xylostella ‐damaged plants revealed large differences between B. nigra and B. juncea plants, with smaller differences among the B. nigra populations. The four mustard populations differentially affected development time and body mass of the herbivores and parasitoids. Contrasts among the means revealed significant differences mainly between B. nigra and B. juncea . Both parasitoids, however, preferred to alight on plants in which their progeny developed most successfully. In behavioural bioassays, D. semiclausum did not discriminate among the B. nigra populations and preferred to alight on B. juncea , which was the best plant population for parasitoid development. By contrast, C. glomerata females exhibited the lowest preference for Italian B. nigra populations, on which adult parasitoid size was the smallest. These results reveal that parasitoids can detect even small differences in plant quality presumably through their volatile blends and that plant preference and offspring performance in the two species are ‘optimally synchronized’.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar glucosinolates and volatile emissions of P. xylostella-damaged plants differed greatly between B. nigra and B. juncea and less among B. nigra populations.
- Taxon
- B. nigra
_leaves.JPG?width=60)
Brassica nigrae0 - Interactor
- P. xylostellae0herbivore
- Outcome
- foliar glucosinolates and volatile emissionse0
- Qualifier
- large differences between B. nigra and B. juncea plants, with smaller differences among the B. nigra populationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_leaves.JPG?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Chemical analyses of foliar glucosinolates and volatile emissions by P. xylostella ‐damaged plants revealed large differences between B. nigra and B. juncea plants, with smaller differences among the B. nigra populations”
Claim · model-written summary
The four mustard populations differentially affected development time and body mass of the herbivores and parasitoids, with significant differences mainly between B. nigra and B. juncea.
- Taxon
- mustarde0
- Material
- four mustard populationse0
- Outcome
- development time and body mass of the herbivores and parasitoidse0
- Qualifier
- significant differences mainly between B. nigra and B. junceae1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The four mustard populations differentially affected development time and body mass of the herbivores and parasitoids”
e1“Contrasts among the means revealed significant differences mainly between B. nigra and B. juncea”
Claim · model-written summary
Both parasitoids preferred to alight on plants in which their progeny developed most successfully.
- Taxon
- Brassica nigraBrassica nigrae1
- Interactor
- parasitoidse0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- preferred to alight on plants in which their progeny developed most successfullye0
- Direction
- preferrede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both parasitoids, however, preferred to alight on plants in which their progeny developed most successfully”
e1“black mustard Brassica nigra”
Claim · model-written summary
In behavioural bioassays D. semiclausum did not discriminate among the B. nigra populations.
- Taxon
- B. nigraBrassica nigrae0
- Interactor
- D. semiclausum
Diadegma semiclausume0biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- discriminate among the B. nigra populationse0
- Direction
- did not discriminatee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In behavioural bioassays, D. semiclausum did not discriminate among the B. nigra populations and preferred to alight on B. juncea , which was the best plant population for parasitoid development”
Claim · model-written summary
D. semiclausum preferred to alight on B. juncea, which was the best plant population for parasitoid development.
- Taxon
- B. juncea
Brassica junceae0 - Interactor
- D. semiclausumDiadegma semiclausume0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- alighte0
- Direction
- preferrede0
- Comparator
- B. nigra populationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In behavioural bioassays, D. semiclausum did not discriminate among the B. nigra populations and preferred to alight on B. juncea , which was the best plant population for parasitoid development”
Claim · model-written summary
C. glomerata females showed the lowest preference for Italian B. nigra populations.
- Taxon
- B. nigraBrassica nigrae0
- Material
- Italian B. nigra populationse0
- Interactor
- C. glomerata
Cotesia glomeratae0biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- preferencee0
- Direction
- loweste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“C. glomerata females exhibited the lowest preference for Italian B. nigra populations, on which adult parasitoid size was the smallest”
Claim · model-written summary
Adult C. glomerata parasitoid size was smallest on Italian B. nigra populations.
- Taxon
- B. nigraBrassica nigrae0
- Material
- Italian B. nigra populationse0
- Interactor
- C. glomerataCotesia glomeratae0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- adult parasitoid sizee0
- Direction
- smalleste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“C. glomerata females exhibited the lowest preference for Italian B. nigra populations, on which adult parasitoid size was the smallest”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that parasitoids can detect even small differences in plant quality, presumably through their volatile blends.
- Interactor
- parasitoidse0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- detect even small differences in plant qualitye0
- Qualifier
- presumably through their volatile blendse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“parasitoids can detect even small differences in plant quality presumably through their volatile blends”