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Predator–prey interactions: olfactory adaptations of generalist and specialist predators
Author(s) -
Dickens Joseph C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
agricultural and forest entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.755
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1461-9563
pISSN - 1461-9555
DOI - 10.1046/j.1461-9563.1999.00007.x
Subject(s) - methyl salicylate , biology , pentatomidae , green leaf volatiles , colorado potato beetle , kairomone , nonanal , linalool , botany , predation , heteroptera , electroantennography , predator , horticulture , larva , food science , herbivore , ecology , pheromone , essential oil
Summary 1 Olfactory responses of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a generalist predator, Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) ( Pm ), and a specialist predator, Perillus bioculatus (F.) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) ( Pb ) were investigated. Volatiles tested included 20 compounds emitted by undamaged potato plants ( Solanum tuberosum ), plants that had been artificially damaged, or plants damaged by feeding by CPB larvae. 2 Coupled gas chromatography/electroantennogram detector (GC/EAD) recordings revealed five compounds for which reliable responses were recorded from CPB antennae: ( E )‐2‐hexen‐1‐ol, ( Z )‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, ( ± )‐linalool, nonanal, methyl salicylate, and indole. Both Pm and Pb responded selectively to the same compounds as the CPB with exceptions: (1) ( Z )‐3‐hexenyl butyrate elicited reliable responses for both Pm and Pb, and (2) ( E )‐2‐hexen‐1‐ol and ( Z )‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol were inactive for Pm and Pb under these conditions. Dose–response curves showed that CPB was at least 100 times more sensitive to ( E )‐2‐hexen‐1‐ol than were the predators. Both predators were more sensitive to each of the other compounds than were CPB. Both CPB and Pm were attracted to a five component blend comprising ( E )‐2‐hexen‐1‐ol, ( Z )‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, ( ± )‐linalool, nonanal and methyl salicylate. However, attraction of CPB to the blend occurred only with lower doses of ( E )‐2‐hexen‐1‐ol and ( Z )‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol. 3 These results show that the herbivore (CPB) has olfactory receptors which are more sensitive to constitutive host plant volatiles, e.g. green leaf volatiles, while both generalist ( Pm ) and specialist ( Pb ) predators are more sensitive to systemic volatiles produced in response to prey feeding. Keywords Colorado potato beetle, constitutive compounds, host plant, induced compounds, olfaction, Perillus bioculatus , Podisus maculiventris , predator, prey, tritrophic.