title: Does chemical aposematic (warning) signaling occur between host plants and their potential parasitic plants?
abstract: Aposematism (warning) signaling is a common defensive mechanism toward predatory or herbivorous animals, i.e., interactions between different trophic levels. I propose that it should be considered at least as a working hypothesis that chemical aposematism operates between certain host plants and their plant predators, parasitic plants, and that although they are also plants, they belong to a higher trophic level. Specific host plant genotypes emit known repelling chemical signals toward parasitic plants, which reduce the level of, slow the directional parasite growth (attack) toward the signaling hosts, or even cause parasitic plants to grow away from them in response to these chemicals. Chemical host aposematism toward parasitic plants may be a common but overlooked defense from parasitic plants.
authors: Department of Biology & Environment; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Haifa-Oranim; Tivon, Israel.
authors: Simcha
authors: S
authors: Lev-Yadun
mesh_terms: D020387:Food Chain; D060434:Herbivory; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010944:Plants / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: aposematic; defense; parasitic plants; signaling; trophic levels
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