Can herbivore-induced plant volatiles enhance biological control services in agroecosystems?

Jordano 1
Salamanca , Brgida 1
Souza , and Cesar Rodriguez-Saona2
1Departamento
de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Brasil;
2Department of Entomology, Philip E. Marucci Center, Rutgers University, United States.
jordanosalamanca@gmail.com

ABSTRACT METHODS RESULTS

I conducted greenhouse and field studies to: a) identify which Greenhouse Study: In the greenhouse, H. convergens was
predators are attracted to MeSA and assess their role on egg Choice experiments were conducted to assess whether MeSA attracted to 0.2 and 2mg MeSA; MeSA at 2mg
predation in cranberries; b) determine whether Hippodamia affects attraction and predation of Ostrinia nubilalis eggs by H. increased egg predation (Figure 5).
convergens, is attracted to MeSA and if this attraction increases egg convergens in cages (Figure 2). A. Attraction B. Predation
predation in cage studies; and, c) investigate H. convergens attraction Field Study 1: 0.2mg MeSA * Control 0.2mg MeSA n.s Control
to MeSA over various distances in commercial cranberry fields. Video I placed 8 video cameras in a cranberry bog. Four cameras were
camera recordings showed that lady beetles (Coccinellidae, unknown placed close to PredaLure and the others close to a white
2.0mg MeSA ** Control 2.0mg MeSA ** Control

spp.) are attracted to MeSA in the field; however, this attraction did cardboard (Control) (Figure 3). 20mg MeSA n.s Control 20mg MeSA n.s Control
not lead to increased sentinel egg predation. In greenhouse cages, H. At all stations, I placed a cardboard with 5 O. nubilalis egg 100 80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100 100 80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100
convergens adults were attracted to artificial plants baited with masses.
MeSA, which resulted in increased egg predation. In mark-release Predators visiting and/or eating the eggs were filmed for two Figure 5. Percent attraction to MeSA (A) and egg
field experiments, more H. convergens beetles were caught on traps days.
predation (B) by H. convergens in cages. t - test: ** = P
near (0m) than at 5, 10, 15 and 20m from the release site. In 0.01; n.s = no significant difference (P > 0.05).
Field Study 2:
conclusion, lady beetle adults were attracted to MeSA; however, this In the field, lady beetles (Coccinellidae,
I conducted a mark-release experiment with H. convergens in
attraction acted only at short distances and led to increased unknown spp.) were more attracted to
four commercial cranberry bogs.
predation in the greenhouse but not under (more complex) field PredaLure than to the control (Figure 6). Egg
At each bog, sets of five PredaLures were placed along a linear
conditions, indicating that this HIPV could increase number of predation was also higher close to the
transect at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 m to the south, north, east, and west
predators but not their function in agroecosystems. PredaLure than to the control (Figure 7).
(Figure 4).
H. convergens adults (N=32,000) were marked using chicken egg Figure 6. Percent
INTRODUCTION attraction of
protein, and released and captured on yellow stick traps placed
Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is a commonly-emitted HIPV (Herbivore- next to the lures at 24 and 48 h.
Coccinellidae
induced plant volatiles) from plants, and is induced by herbivorous (unknown spp.) to
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to PredaLure and
arthropods from different feeding guilds (Dicke et al., 1990; **
identify the marked insects. unbaited control; 2=
Salamanca et al., 2015).
11.56, **P 0.01
MeSA can be used in agricultural systems to attract natural
enemies of herbivorous pests (Rodriguez-Saona et al., 2011). Figure 2. Choice test in Figure 7.
PredaLure (AgBio Inc.) is a commercially-available lure that cages. Two artificial plants Percent egg
contains MeSA used for the attraction of natural enemies (Figure were baited with MeSA and predation
two were unbaited. O.
1). nubilalis egg masses were
near
Although studies have shown attraction of lady beetles, syrphids, placed on each plant (A); PredaLure
lacewings, and other predators to PredaLure (Rodriguez-Saona et Septum with MeSA (B). and unbaited
al., 2011), only a few studies have shown that this attraction leads control; t-
test= 3.29,
to greater predation.
**P 0.01
I TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT PREDATOR ATTRACTION TO MeSA Figure 3. Field study to
LEADS TO HIGHER PREDATION record predator visitation
to MeSA lures. Four video In the field, more H. convergens beetles were
Figure 1. cameras recorded predator caught on MeSA-baited traps at 0 m than on
MeSA
Attraction of visitation; four other video traps at 5, 10, 15, and 20 m from the release
natural cameras recorded visitation
enemies to to unbaited stations.
zone (Figure 8).
PredaLure Recordings were conducted In ELISA tests, >80% of the captured H.
(AgBio Inc.)- A from May-August 2014. convergens were marked.
commercial
MeSA-based Figure 4. Study to
lure. determine predator
OBJECTIVES response to MeSA at
various distances. MeSA-
1. In the greenhouse, I determined whether the convergent lady baited sticky traps at 0, 5, 10,
beetle, Hippodamia convergens Gurin-Mneville (Coccinellidae), 15, and 20 m from release
is attracted to MeSA and if this attraction increases egg predation. zone (A) . Release zone (B).
2. In the field, I identified which predators are attracted to MeSA and
assess their role on egg predation in cranberries;
3. In the field, I investigated H. convergens attraction to MeSA over CONCLUSIONS
various distances in commercial cranberry fields. Lady beetle, H. convergens, adults were attracted to MeSA at short
REFERENCES distances, which led to increased predation in the greenhouse but not
Dicke, M., Sabelis, M.W., Takabayashi, J., Bruin, J., Posthumus, M.A., 1990. Plant strategies of manipulating predator-prey interactions through
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Salamanca J, Pareja M, Rodriguez-Saona C, Resende ALS, Souza B: Behavioral responses of adult lacewings, Chrysoperla externa, to a roseaphid
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