Plant Volatiles and Their Role in Insect Olfaction

Abstract

Plant volatiles are the invisible players in the plant-insect co-evolutionary arms race. They are involved in various plant-mediated tri-trophic interactions within the ecosystem. Volatiles, emitted from different parts of the plant, serves as a cue for the host-seeking herbivores. Interestingly, insects perceive and process such complex environmental cues with their advanced olfactory system. During herbivory, plants also produce defensive volatiles recognized as herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that often serve a dual purpose by attracting the natural enemies and giving an alarming signal to the plants nearby. Insects tend to avoid the host plants emitting such defensive volatiles and non-host plants, releasing non-host volatiles (NHVs). Understanding the dynamics of host selection through plant volatile recognition by pest insects is highly important to develop eco-friendly pest management practices employing strategies such as push-pull strategy. In the present chapter, we have reviewed different aspects of plant volatile production, insect olfactory system organization, the contribution of plant volatiles in host-seeking behavior of insects, and finally their potential use in formulating insect pest management strategies.

Keywords

Host selection; Insect olfaction; Non-host volatiles (NHVs); Odourant receptor (OR); Plant volatiles; Push-pull strategy

Published in

Title: Plant-Pest Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Chemical Ecology : Chemical Ecology
Publisher: Springer Singapore

SLU Authors

• Schlyter, Fredrik

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2467-7_7
• ISBN: 978-981-15-2466-0
• eISBN: 978-981-15-2467-7

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/129767