Abstract
Plant trichomes often function as physical barriers in preventing arthropod feeding and oviposition. Even though insects are frequently reported being entrapped and killed by trichome traps, the actual trapping behavior has not yet been described in detail. Capture experiments showed that capture efficiency during the plant's vegetative stage was considerably higher than in the fruiting and cotyledon stages. The ventral surface of the leaf was more effective in trapping flies than other parts of the plant. Capture-events monitoring showed that the mouthparts, legs, and ovipositor of Liriomyza trifolii adults are the body parts involved in entrapment by surface trichomes on Phaseolus vulgaris plants, and subsequently, deter their ability to feed, walk, and oviposit. Of the three main body parts normally affected, mouthparts was found to be the body part most susceptible to the trichomes. Entrapments were most often caused by landing, followed by puncturing or feeding, and occasionally by walking or fighting. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy, we determined the susceptible positions of each body part and found that the flies were all trapped by hooked trichomes. This study revealed the process by which leafminer flies are entrapped by surface trichomes of the host plant and evaluated the capture efficiency. The results will contribute to our understanding of physical defenses against herbivores.
Highlights
Interactions between plants and insects include some of the most interesting and important interactions between species
Our observation showed that the behaviors underlying the trichomebased trapping system were considerably more complex than previously assumed
We were able to define five distinct behavior patterns resulting in the capture of L. trifolii adults: landing, puncturing + feeding, puncturing, walking/probing, and fighting (Video S1), with the process of landing contributing to the most entrapments according to this study, they were caused, to a lesser extent, by puncture with the ovipositor and feeding behavior and occasionally by walking, or fighting for food or for females
Summary
Interactions between plants and insects include some of the most interesting and important interactions between species. The surfaces of terrestrial plants have evolved many morphological adaptations (including a waxy cuticle and/or spines, setae, or trichomes that developed from epidemic cells) to cope with biotic challenges, and comprise the first line of plant defenses (Lazniewska et al, 2012; Hauser, 2014). The glandular trichomes are able to secrete adhesive or viscous fluids that act to entrap arthropods or discourage herbivore feeding (Wagner, 1991; Wheeler and Krimmel, 2015). Non-glandular trichomes include types consisting of a spine or are hooked at various angles that are capable of directly impaling insect bodies and thereby impeding the insects’ feeding behavior (Levin, 1973; Riddick and Simmons, 2014)
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