Comparison of volatile leaf compounds and herbivorous insect communities on three willow species

Abstract

AbstractPlants produce volatile compounds known to influence insect preferences for oviposition and feeding. To examine whether volatile leaf compounds are correlated with the herbivorous insect community, we analyzed volatile compounds in leaves from three co‐occurring willow species, Salix serissaefolia, S. eriocarpa, and S. integra, and investigated their associated insect communities in 3 months across different years. The gas chromatographic profiles of volatile compounds were highly specific to each willow species and remained constant in the study months. In a comparison between the chemical composition of the volatile compounds and the taxon composition of the insect communities, dissimilarity patterns in chemical composition among the three willow species were very close to those in herbivorous insect communities. These findings indicate that willow leaves produce specific volatiles that are highly correlated with the community structure of herbivorous insects associated with them.