LETTER

A specialist root herbivore exploits defensive metabolites to locate nutritious tissues

  1. Christelle A. M. Robert1,
  2. Nathalie Veyrat1,
  3. Gaétan Glauser1,2,
  4. Guillaume Marti3,
  5. Gwladys R. Doyen1,
  6. Neil Villard1,
  7. Mickaël D. P. Gaillard1,
  8. Tobias G. Köllner4,
  9. David Giron5,
  10. Mélanie Body5,
  11. Benjamin A. Babst6,
  12. Richard A. Ferrieri6,
  13. Ted C. J. Turlings1,
  14. Matthias Erb1,7,*

Article first published online: 10 NOV 2011

DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01708.x

Issue

Ecology Letters

Ecology Letters

Volume 15, Issue 1, pages 55–64, January 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Robert, C. A. M., Veyrat, N., Glauser, G., Marti, G., Doyen, G. R., Villard, N., Gaillard, M. D. P., Köllner, T. G., Giron, D., Body, M., Babst, B. A., Ferrieri, R. A., Turlings, T. C. J. and Erb, M. (2012), A specialist root herbivore exploits defensive metabolites to locate nutritious tissues. Ecology Letters, 15: 55–64. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01708.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Neuchâtel, Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology (FARCE), Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland

  2. 2

    Chemical Analytical Service of the Swiss Plant Science Web, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland

  3. 3

    Phytochemistry & Bioactive Natural Products and Pharmacognosy, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

  4. 4

    Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany

  5. 5

    Physical Ecology and Multitrophic Interactions Group, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 6035 UFR Sciences et Techniques, Avenue Monge-Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France

  6. 6

    Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA

  7. 7

    Current address: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Shoot-Root Communication Group, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany

* E-mail: merb@ice.mpg.de

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 1 DEC 2011
  2. Article first published online: 10 NOV 2011
  3. Editor, Nicole van Dam Manuscript received 10 August 2011 First decision made 13 September 2011 Manuscript accepted 2 October 2011

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article with Supporting Information (HTML) Get PDF (590K)

Keywords:

  • Diabrotica virgifera;
  • DIMBOA;
  • optimal defence;
  • optimal foraging;
  • plant-insect interactions;
  • root herbivore;
  • Zea mays

Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 55–64

Abstract

The most valuable organs of plants are often particularly rich in essential elements, but also very well defended. This creates a dilemma for herbivores that need to maximise energy intake while minimising intoxication. We investigated how the specialist root herbivore Diabrotica virgifera solves this conundrum when feeding on wild and cultivated maize plants. We found that crown roots of maize seedlings were vital for plant development and, in accordance, were rich in nutritious primary metabolites and contained higher amounts of the insecticidal 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) and the phenolic compound chlorogenic acid. The generalist herbivores Diabrotica balteata and Spodoptera littoralis were deterred from feeding on crown roots, whereas the specialist D. virgifera preferred and grew best on these tissues. Using a 1,4-benzoxazin-3-one-deficient maize mutant, we found that D. virgifera is resistant to DIMBOA and other 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones and that it even hijacks these compounds to optimally forage for nutritious roots.

View Full Article with Supporting Information (HTML) Get PDF (590K)