title: Herbivore Damage and Prior Egg Deposition on Host Plants Influence the Oviposition of the Generalist Moth Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).
abstract: Female insects have the difficult task of locating host plants that maximize the survival and success of their offspring. In this study, the oviposition preferences of the cabbage looper moth, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), for soybean plants, Glycine max (L.), under various treatments-undamaged, mechanically damaged, damaged by T. ni or Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) larvae or by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) adults, egg-free plants, and plants previously oviposited by conspecific or heterospecific females (S. frugiperda)-were investigated using two-choice tests. Additionally, the volatile compounds emitted by the plants under the different treatments were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results showed that females showed no preferences for undamaged or mechanically damaged plants. However, they oviposited more often on undamaged plants than on those previously damaged by T. ni, S. frugiperda, or B. tabaci. In contrast, females preferred to oviposit on plants previously oviposited by conspecific and heterospecific females than on egg-free plants. Plants damaged by conspecific or heterospecific larvae emitted methyl salicylate, indole, and octyl butyrate, compounds not released by undamaged or mechanically damaged plants. Whitefly damage induced the release of higher quantities of Z(3)-hexenyl acetate, (R)-(+)-limonene, and (E)-β-ocimene compared to plants damaged by larvae and suppressed the emission of linalool. Egg deposition by conspecific and heterospecific moths induced the emission of (R)-(+)-limonene, octyl butyrate, and geranyl acetone but suppressed the release of linalool. This study showed that a generalist moth species can discriminate between plants of different quality, and suggests that females use volatile compounds as cues during this process.
authors: Grupo de Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, Departamento de Agricultura, Sociedad y Ambiente, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico (ggarcia@ecosur.edu.mx; lcruz@ecosur.mx; emr@ecosur.mx; jrojas@ecosur.mx).
authors: Guadalupe G
authors: GG
authors: Coapio
authors: Grupo de Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, Departamento de Agricultura, Sociedad y Ambiente, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico (ggarcia@ecosur.edu.mx; lcruz@ecosur.mx; emr@ecosur.mx; jrojas@ecosur.mx).
authors: Leopoldo
authors: L
authors: Cruz-López
authors: CICyTTP, CONICET Matteri 49 (y España) 3105 Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina (pguerenstein@yahoo.com).
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Guerenstein
authors: Grupo de Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, Departamento de Agricultura, Sociedad y Ambiente, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico (ggarcia@ecosur.edu.mx; lcruz@ecosur.mx; emr@ecosur.mx; jrojas@ecosur.mx).
authors: Edi A
authors: EA
authors: Malo
authors: Grupo de Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, Departamento de Agricultura, Sociedad y Ambiente, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico (ggarcia@ecosur.edu.mx; lcruz@ecosur.mx; emr@ecosur.mx; jrojas@ecosur.mx).
authors: Julio C
authors: JC
authors: Rojas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000502:physiology*; D060434:Herbivory; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D009036:Moths / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D010058:Oviposition; D013025:Glycine max / Q000254:growth & development; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000502:physiology; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Bemisia tabaci; Glycine max; Spodoptera frugiperda; host-finding behavior; volatile compound