Essential-Oil-Mediated Interactions Between Oregano Plants and Helicidae Grazers

Abstract

Aromatic plants dominate in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. They often produce remarkable quantities of essential oils containing high amounts of phenolic isoprenoids, such as thymol and carvacrol. The purpose of this work was to examine the interactions between commonly occurring aromatic plants in the Mediterranean environment and their snail grazers. The aromatic plants used were two Origanum vulgare subspecies, subsp. hirtum and subsp. vulgare. They differ in the content and the qualitative composition of their essential oil; subsp. hirtum contains a much larger amount and is rich in phenolic compounds. Their effect on the foraging behavior of three snail species, native in Greece, was studied; the snail species were Helix lucorum, H. aspersa, and Eobania vermiculata. The snails' responses to different food sources, raw or processed, with or without essential oils, were evaluated during the different stages of the foraging cycle. During the encounter stage, snails were more repelled than attracted when close to phenol-rich foods. During the acceptance stage, all snail species tended to reject food types that contained high concentrations of subsp. hirtum essential oil. At the feeding stage, subsp. hirtum essential oil caused reduction of daily consumption rates. Overall, the essential oil of O. vulgare subsp. vulgare did not produce any marked change in the snails' behavior. In contrast, that of O. vulgare subsp. hirtum had a repellent effect, particularly when present in naturally occurring high concentrations. Among the snail species, H. lucorum, which does not share the same biotope with O. vulgare subsp. hirtum, was the least tolerant to its essential oil.