Cooperative herbivory between two important pests of rice

Qingsong Liu, Xiaoyun Hu, Shuangli Su, Yuese Ning, Yufa Peng, Gongyin Ye, Yonggen Lou, Ted C. J. Turlings and Yunhe Li ()
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Qingsong Liu: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Xiaoyun Hu: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Shuangli Su: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Yuese Ning: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Yufa Peng: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Gongyin Ye: Zhejiang University
Yonggen Lou: Zhejiang University
Ted C. J. Turlings: University of Neuchâtel
Yunhe Li: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Normally, when different species of herbivorous arthropods feed on the same plant this leads to fitness-reducing competition. We found this to be different for two of Asia’s most destructive rice pests, the brown planthopper and the rice striped stem borer. Both insects directly and indirectly benefit from jointly attacking the same host plant. Double infestation improved host plant quality, particularly for the stemborer because the planthopper fully suppresses caterpillar-induced production of proteinase inhibitors. It also reduced the risk of egg parasitism, due to diminished parasitoid attraction. Females of both pests have adapted their oviposition behaviour accordingly. Their strong preference for plants infested by the other species even overrides their avoidance of plants already attacked by conspecifics. This cooperation between herbivores is telling of adaptations resulting from the evolution of plant-insect interactions, and points out mechanistic vulnerabilities that can be targeted to control these major pests.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27021-0

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