Insect-Plant Interactions and Control

Rapid green leaf volatile sensing allows intact plants to release induced volatiles earlier than wounded emitters

The paper shows that intact maize plants release induced volatiles earlier than wounded neighbors, triggered by green leaf volatiles from the wounded plants.

Does herbivore diversity increase induced phytochemical diversity? Testing the pathway co-activation hypothesis

The paper tests if multi-species herbivory increases phytochemical diversity by activating antagonistic defense pathways, finding increased richness and evenness under dual herbivory.

Small brown planthopper infestation enhances it reproduction and insecticide tolerance by manipulating glucose distribution and levels in rice

This paper shows how small brown planthopper infestation increases rice glucose levels, which enhances the insect's reproduction and insecticide tolerance through specific molecular pathways.

Arabidopsis-Swede Midge as an experimentally tractable insect gall model to dissect plant reprogramming

This study establishes Arabidopsis thaliana and Swede Midge as a model system to study insect-induced gall formation and plant reprogramming.

Plant microbiomes have a greater effect than plant size on flowering and growth in Asclepias syriaca

This study shows that microbiomes, not plant size, more strongly influence flowering and growth in milkweed, with leaf microbiomes predicting growth and soil microbiomes predicting flowering.

A specialist pine feeder exhibits variable phenotypic responses, but predictable gene-expression changes, when exposed to a novel pine

This study examines how larvae of a specialist pine feeder respond to a novel pine host, finding predictable gene-expression changes and variable phenotypic responses.

Rapid Host Plant Adaptation via Ectopic Gene Conversion in Plutellid Moths

This study shows that ectopic gene conversion drives rapid adaptation in plutellid moths by diversifying glucosinolate sulfatases, enabling them to detoxify diverse host plants.

No evidence for extrafloral nectaries in Erythranthe angulosa

The paper investigates axillary swellings in Erythranthe angulosa and finds no evidence they function as extrafloral nectaries, but identifies morphological variation in the species.

The effect of the consumption of toxic prey on avian predator physiology

This study examines the physiological effects of consuming chemically defended prey on great tits, finding no significant impact on stress or oxidative stress markers but increased mitochondrial usage with higher toxin doses.

Climate change effects on terpene expression differ among populations and have consequences for herbivory in an invasive plant

This study examines how climate change affects terpene expression in common tansy and its impact on herbivory across populations.

Revealing parasitoid-pest interactions using multi-marker metabarcoding: a nationwide assessment of parasitism in cabbage stem flea beetle larvae

The paper uses multi-marker DNA metabarcoding to assess parasitism rates and identify parasitoids of cabbage stem flea beetle larvae across England, revealing regional differences and novel interactions.

A Synergistic Terpenoid-Phenolic Defense Network Confers Resistance to Dendrolimus superans in Hybrid Larch

The paper identifies a synergistic terpenoid-phenolic defense network in hybrid larch that contributes to resistance against Dendrolimus superans through metabolomics analysis of 46 clones.

An Aphid Protein Interferes with Plant endomembrane Trafficking Machinery to Promote Aphid Survival and Plant Growth

This study identifies an aphid protein, AAF1, that manipulates plant autophagy to enhance aphid survival and plant growth.

DAPHNE: A global database of pest herbivores and their natural enemies

The paper constructs a global database of pest herbivores and their natural enemies by using a large language model to extract species interactions from scientific literature.

Rapid and widespread transcriptional plasticity underlies host shift in a specialist herbivore

This study shows that the specialist aphid Daktulosphaira vitifoliae exhibits rapid transcriptional plasticity and epigenetic stability when shifting to new host plants.

Domestication altered defense responses and host-aphid interaction networks in apples

This study shows domestication altered apple defense responses and host-aphid interaction networks, with cultivated apples showing stronger inducible defenses and higher aphid performance.

Green Leaves, Red Flags: Host Plant Associations as Indicators of Prey Defense for an Avian Predator

The paper tests if host plants serve as cues for predators to distinguish defended prey from undefended prey, finding that wrens use plant identity to avoid chemically defended larvae.

MpILR1 Hydrolyzes Jasmonate-Amino Acid Conjugates to Activate dn-iso-OPDA Signaling in Marchantia polymorpha.

This study identifies MpILR1 as a key enzyme in Marchantia polymorpha that hydrolyzes dn-iso-OPDA-amino acid conjugates, activating jasmonate signaling and defense responses.

Toxin structure shapes palatability in a chemically defended butterfly

The paper tests if toxin structure affects palatability in Heliconius sara larvae, finding cyclopentenyl cyanogenic glucosides are more deterrent than aliphatic ones in predator assays.

Host-dependent salivary effector candidates and predicted plant immune targets in Spodoptera frugiperda

The paper identifies host-dependent salivary effector candidates and predicted plant immune targets in Spodoptera frugiperda by analyzing transcriptomes and predicting protein interactions.

Trichome acylsugar defenses are equally effective against leaf-mining and free-living insects

The paper shows that trichome-produced acylsugars inhibit leafminer larvae growth and are translocated into mesophyll tissues via an ABC transporter, defending against both ectophagous and endophagous herbivores.

An aphid effector pair forms a hetero-oligomeric complex important for protein stability and activity

The paper identifies a hetero-oligomeric complex formed by an aphid effector pair, showing its importance for protein stability and activity.

Epistasis and an oligogenic architecture underlie the strength of a plant-herbivore interaction

The paper examines how genomic variation in Arabidopsis thaliana affects interaction strength with aphids, finding epistasis among defense genes and an oligogenic architecture.

Pharmacological modulation of ATP-binding cassette transporters alters feeding phases of the sugarcane aphid on susceptible sorghum

This study shows that modulating ATP-binding cassette transporters in sugarcane aphids changes their feeding phases on sorghum, potentially reducing crop damage and virus transmission.

Parasitoids reduce growth rate in oak-feeding caterpillars

The paper measures the growth rate of parasitised and non-parasitised caterpillars feeding on oak trees and finds parasitoids reduce growth rate on average across six Lepidoptera species.

Macronutrient balance differentially regulates growth, immune function, and oxidative stress responses in Plutella xylostella

This study shows that different macronutrient balances affect growth, immunity, and oxidative stress in Plutella xylostella, with no single ratio supporting all traits.

The aphid effector CathB6 suppresses EDS1-dependentimmunity and rewires MORF2-GUN1-GLK signalling tosustain host cellular homeostasis in Arabidopsis

This paper shows CathB6 suppresses EDS1-dependent immunity and rewires MORF2-GUN1-GLK signaling to maintain cellular homeostasis in Arabidopsis during aphid feeding.

Natural enemies can mediate the impact of plant microbiota on insect-borne virus transmission

The paper investigates how Pseudomonas bacteria affect aphid-vectored virus outbreaks in pea crops, showing that their impact depends on parasitoid efficiency in locating aphids.

Insect REPAT proteins mediate cross-kingdom communication in microbe-insect-plant interactions

This study identifies REPAT proteins as mediators of cross-kingdom communication between insects, microbes, and plants, showing how viral infections alter plant defense responses through changes in REPAT abundance.

Variation of multiple plant defenses and herbivory reveal different patterns of adaptation across a productivity gradient.

This study examines how plant defense traits and herbivory vary across a productivity gradient in Solanum carolinense, revealing trait-specific adaptations to climate.