Prior Brassica rapa infestation by the cabbage bug, Eurydema ornata alters the performance and behavior of the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae and its natural enemies

Abstract

Plant infestation by insect pests can alter plant physiology, thereby influencing the performance and behavior of subsequent herbivores and their natural enemies through indirect effects—changes in plant traits mediated by prior herbivory. This study investigates how prior infestation of Brassica rapa by the cabbage bug Eurydema ornata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) affects the aphid Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its natural enemies, the predator Harmonia axyridis Coleoptera: Coccinedllidae) and the parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). To explore these interactions, we assessed aphid survival and fecundity, monitored population dynamics, examined the behavior of the predator and parasitoid, and analyzed plant volatile emissions.