Arthropod-Plant Interactions最新文献

{"title":"Diversity of arthropod pollinators, foraging parameters of major bee species and the role of entomophily in sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) pollination","authors":"Sabyasachi Ray,&nbsp;Pritam Maity,&nbsp;Soumita Bera,&nbsp;Amitava Banerjee,&nbsp;Srijani Maji,&nbsp;Arun Kumar Senapati","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10263-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10263-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Assessment of pollinator community, foraging behavior and pollination efficiency is essential for improving sunflower yield and optimizing crop and pollinator management. The experiment was carried out in a farmer’s field located at Bhayna village, West Bengal, India to study the pollinator community and its role in sunflower pollination. Field trials were conducted to study the abundance and diversity of pollinators. The foraging pattern was recorded at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, and 18:00 h. The pollination efficiency index, a composite measure of pollinator abundance, visitation rate, flower handling time, and pollen load was assessed to understand the pollination effectiveness of individual bee pollinators. The effects of hand pollination, open pollination, combined hand and open pollination, and pollinator exclusion on sunflower yield were also assessed. Results showed that, among the insect pollinators, <i>Apis dorsata</i> was most abundant (27.46%) followed by <i>Apis mellifera</i> (24.99%), <i>Halictus acrocephalus</i> (11.94%) and <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> (7.04%). Maximum abundances of <i>Apis dorsata</i> (31.16%), <i>Halictus acrocephalus</i> (15.99%) and <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> (10.46%) were recorded at 10:00 h while maximum abundance of <i>Apis mellifera</i> (31.97%) was recorded at 16:00 h. Maximum pollinator diversity (Shannon Weiner index-2.41 and Simpson’s index-0.85) occurred at 10:00 h. Maximum foraging activity of <i>Apis dorsata</i> (2.33 bees/head/minute), <i>Halictus acrocephalus</i> (1.29) and <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> (1.00) were recorded at 10:00 h while maximum foraging activity of <i>Apis mellifera</i> recorded (1.97) at 16:00 h. Maximum foraging rate (flowers visited/minute) of the bees were recorded at 10:00 h, where, <i>Apis mellifera</i> showed maximum foraging rate (10.37) followed by <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> (8.34), <i>Apis dorsata</i> (6.46) and <i>Halictus acrocephalous</i> (3.38). Maximum time spent by <i>Apis dorsata</i> (36.68 s) followed by <i>Apis mellifera</i> (28.54 s), <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> (22.37 s) and <i>Halictus acrocephalus</i> (13.23 s) on the sunflower capitula. Each <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> bee carried the highest number of pollen grains (298,000), followed by <i>Apis dorsata</i> (182,000), <i>Apis mellifera</i> (153,000), and <i>Halictus acrocephalus</i> (138,000). Highest pollination efficiency index was recorded in <i>Apis dorsata</i> (42.57), followed by Apis mellifera (39.53), <i>Xylocopa fenestrata</i> (14.67), and <i>Halictus acrocephalus</i> (9.91). Maximum yield (14.25 q/ha), other yield attributing characters and germination (%) were recorded for hand and open pollination followed by open pollination and hand pollination only.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chewing rhythms in larvae of the tomato pinworm (Phthorimaea (= Tuta) absoluta) are not altered by leaf mesophyll architecture","authors":"Diego S. Souza,&nbsp;Raul Narciso C. Guedes,&nbsp;Agustin Zsögön,&nbsp;Leonardo M. Turchen","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10262-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10262-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Leaf mesophyll traits influence the architecture and mechanical properties of plant tissue and are often assumed to shape plant–herbivore interactions. For example, homobaric leaves have a relatively continuous mesophyll, whereas heterobaric leaves possess vascular bundle sheath extensions (BSEs) that partition the mesophyll into discrete compartments, thereby increasing structural heterogeneity. Based on this contrast, we hypothesized that heterobaric leaves could impose a mechanical barrier to leafminer caterpillars, potentially raising foraging costs and causing immediate, effort-related changes in chewing behavior. To test this, we compared the feeding behavior of tomato pinworm caterpillars, <i>Phthorimaea absoluta</i> (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), using <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> wild-type (WT) tomato and isogenic lines harboring the <i>obscuravenosa</i> (<i>obv</i>) mutation. These tomato isolines differ in mesophyll architecture by the presence (heterobaric, WT) or absence (homobaric, <i>obv</i>) of vascular BSEs. Larval feeding activity was recorded using synchronized high-resolution video and laser Doppler vibrometry. The resulting vibratory output was used as a proxy for mandibular closure events, allowing quantification of fine-scale temporal and spectral features of feeding activity. Contrary to our predictions, mesophyll architecture did not appear to influence larval chewing motor patterns, as no differences were detected in event duration, dominant frequency, amplitude, or mandibular rhythm. These results suggest that larval chewing motor control is remarkably robust and largely insensitive to this specific type of substrate variation, possibly reflecting biomechanical or behavioral adaptations in tomato pinworm that maintain feeding efficiency across structurally heterogeneous tissues. From an applied perspective, the lack of an immediate biomechanical cost indicates that management strategies that rely solely on modifying mesophyll traits are unlikely, on their own, to deter this specialized pest. These points highlight the need to integrate anatomical traits with other plant defense mechanisms for effective pest management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10262-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential induction of phenolics, amino acids, and antioxidant enzyme activities in maize confers resistance to fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)","authors":"G. Nikitha Reddy,&nbsp;P. Lakshmi Soujanya,&nbsp;S. M. Haldhar,&nbsp;K. R. Yathish,&nbsp;R. Venkateswarlu,&nbsp;L. K. Mishra,&nbsp;K. I. Singh,&nbsp;L. N. K. Singh","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10260-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10260-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plant resistance to insect herbivores depends chiefly on the activation of biochemical mechanisms. Present study demonstrated that fall armyworm (FAW) feeding, exogenous application of MeJA, and wounding followed by regurgitant application induced metabolites and defensive enzymes in seven maize genotypes. The findings revealed that the resistant and moderately resistant genotypes significantly induced higher ferulic and <i>p</i>-coumaric acid levels in response to FAW feeding and wounding, followed by regurgitation treatments. The amino acid profile revealed genotype-specific responses, in which MIL9-1260 (MR) exhibited the highest accumulation of essential amino acids, namely valine, methionine, phenylalanine, leucine, lysine, threonine, isoleucine, and non-essential amino acids like alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, and tyrosine with MeJA treatment. However, in the susceptible genotype Sarhad HSRB, the levels of essential and non-essential amino acids decreased after treatment induction. The present study indicates that maize phenolic defense responses were highly induced by FAW attack while amino acid levels and enzymatic (POX and SOD) activities triggered with MeJA in most of the resistant and moderately resistant genotypes. Furthermore, the genotypes MIL 9–1308 and MIL 9–1309 were identified as best sources of resistance and could be utilized in the breeding program to develop FAW-resistant maize hybrids.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148380485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant-based nanoparticles for blocking malaria transmission: state-of-the-art and a roadmap to field translation","authors":"Adandé A. Medjigbodo,&nbsp;Erick N. Ondari,&nbsp;Oswald Y. Djihinto,&nbsp;Salome Osunga,&nbsp;Carolyne Chepkirui,&nbsp;Luc S. Djogbenou,&nbsp;Douglas O. Ochora","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10259-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10259-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Malaria remains a major public health challenge, particularly in Africa, driven by persistence of drug-resistant <i>Plasmodium</i>, insecticide-resistant <i>Anopheles</i>, and limited vaccine coverage. Although conventional vector control strategies have substantially reduced malaria burden, their effectiveness is increasingly threatened by resistance development, altered vector behaviour, community compliance constraints, and environmental concerns. These challenges highlight the urgent need for innovative, sustainable, and eco-friendly approaches to interrupt malaria transmission. Plant-based nanoparticles (PBNPs), emerging from the convergence of phytochemistry and nanotechnology, represent a promising alternative for malaria control and elimination. Traditional antimalarial plants are increasingly explored for parasite and vector control, as well as for nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems that improve the bioavailability and efficacy of natural antimalarial compounds. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the green synthesis, biological activities, mechanisms of action, transmission-blocking potential, and translational challenges of PBNPs for malaria vector and parasite control. The available evidence indicates that plant-derived bioactive compounds act as reducing, stabilizing, and capping agents to generate nanoscale materials with enhanced solubility, bioavailability, and biological activity. PBNPs include metallic nanoparticles and organic nanostructures such as plant-derived exosome-like vesicles for targeted antimalarial delivery. Mechanistically, PBNPs exhibit multi-stage activity across the malaria transmission cycle, including larvicidal, pupicidal, ovicidal, adulticidal, and transmission-blocking effects. Despite promising laboratory evidence, challenges remain, including chemotype variability, nanoparticle heterogeneity, limited standardization, and insufficient ecotoxicological and field validation. Overall, PBNPs constitute a promising multifunctional platform for integrated and environmentally sustainable malaria control.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture><span>The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.</span></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148261731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of fagopyrum esculentum on Agriotes obscurus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) development and orientation","authors":"Timothée de Rham,&nbsp;Ivan Hiltpold,&nbsp;Ophélie Sauzet,&nbsp;Diana la Forgia","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10258-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10258-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae), larvae of click beetles, form a complex of significant subterranean pests damaging important crops such as potatoes and corn, with <i>Agriotes obscurus</i> being prevalent in Switzerland. Buckwheat acts as a biofumigant and affect wireworms, reducing their feeding and their juvenile growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of common buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum esculentum</i>) on the development of <i>A. obscurus</i> larvae, comparing four buckwheat varieties (Grauer Heiden, Val Pusteria, Kitawasesoba, Drushina) against a barley control. Larvae were subjected to no-choice feeding tests under controlled conditions, with measurements of weight, length, and head capsule width taken over 12 weeks. Behavioral responses to different buckwheat varieties were assessed via double-choice olfactometry to examine attraction and preference. Results indicated no significant differences in weight or head capsule width between treatments, though barley-fed larvae showed a slight growth advantage. However, larval length exhibited significant varietal differences, with certain buckwheat varieties inhibiting growth more markedly. Mortality rates were unaffected, likely due to the advanced larval stage tested. Olfactometry revealed no clear preference towards any buckwheat variety, suggesting volatile profiles do not strongly influence larval attraction. These findings suggest that while buckwheat can impair wireworm development, especially larval length, variation among buckwheat varieties offers potential for optimizing integrated pest management strategies. The observed lack of behavioural attraction differences may suggest an incorporation of buckwheat as a cover crop, may disrupt wireworm life cycles and suppress damage sustainably.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10258-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148261729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A first glimpse into the Selva: stingless bee diversity and plant-bee links inferred from adhered pollen in the Peruvian Amazon","authors":"Liliia Baikova,&nbsp;Andrea Lancia,&nbsp;Marilena Marconi,&nbsp;Agustín Cerna Mendoza,&nbsp;Javier Ormeño Luna,&nbsp;Carlos Daniel Vecco-Giove,&nbsp;Andrea Di Giulio,&nbsp;Emiliano Mancini,&nbsp;Federico Di Rita","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10257-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10257-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Notwithstanding the ecological significance of Meliponini as keystone pollinators in tropical ecosystems, their diversity and interactions with plants remain under-documented due to taxonomic impediments and sampling constraints of the Amazon Basin. By applying an integrative taxonomic approach, 251 stingless bees collected across 7 Peruvian Departments were assigned to 16 genera—with <i>Trigona</i>, <i>Melipona</i>, <i>Nannotrigona</i>, and <i>Tetragonisca</i> as the most prevalent—yielding 66 pollen types from 33 botanical families. To elucidate foraging patterns, body-adhered pollen was identified after extraction using an optimized, non-destructive, sonication technique. While most of the identified botanical families (e.g., Arecaceae, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae) are consistent with established records of stingless bee-floral interaction in Central/South America, others—including Adoxaceae, Cistaceae, and Theaceae—constitute novel report for this geographic region. Notably, our findings highlighted the role of stingless bees in visiting flora of high economic and ecological importance, such as <i>Camellia sinensis</i> (tea tree), <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> (sweet potato), <i>Croton lechleri</i> (“sangre de grado”), and the flood-forest palm <i>Socratea exorrhiza</i>. Overall these findings underscore the importance of palynological analyses conducted on pollen collected by Meliponini to better characterise the otherwise inaccessible botanical diversity of Amazonia. We also note the need of addressing the knowledge gap in Meliponini taxonomy and biodiversity to better protect the vital ecosystem services they provide in both natural and agroecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148261730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Odorous substances released by the flowers of Daucus carota L. attract red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren)","authors":"Shuai Yu,&nbsp;Hongjing Zhou,&nbsp;Yangming Jiang,&nbsp;Yanju Li,&nbsp;Yonghong Bai,&nbsp;Xiaomei Wu,&nbsp;Ziyi Wang,&nbsp;Meng Lan,&nbsp;Huijun Hu,&nbsp;Kezhan Han,&nbsp;Jun Huang,&nbsp;Yan Li","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10252-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10252-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Daucus carota</i> L., a biennial plant of the Apiaceae family, has been observed to produce flowers that attract ants. Among these ants is the red imported fire ant (<i>Solenopsis invicta</i> Buren; RIFA), one of the world’s most invasive and destructive pest species. This study investigated the ant-attracting phytochemicals in the flowers. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that α-asarone (28.29%) and β-asarone (32.37%) constituted the major components of the essential oil (EO) extracted from <i>D. carota</i> flowers. Y-tube olfactometer bioassays evaluated the behavioral responses of different RIFA castes (small workers, large workers, males, and virgin queens) to the EO. The EO demonstrated significant attractant activity toward two worker castes, with attraction rates of 77.50% (small worker ants) and 73.75% (large worker ants) at 1000 µg/mL. Subsequently, the behavioral and electroantennographic (EAG) responses of eight compounds (α- and β-asarone, phenol, 2-methoxy-4-vinyphenol, 2,4,5-trimethoxy-benzaldehyde, 2,3-dihydro-benzofuran, α-cadinol, and α-terpineol) identified in the EO were evaluated. Notably, β-asarone demonstrated concentration-dependent dual effects on both workers: 77.50% (small worker ants) and 73.75% (large worker ants) worker repellency at 1000 µg/mL; 75.00% (small worker ants) and 77.50% (large worker ants) attraction at 1 µg/mL. Additionally, α-terpineol exhibited strong attraction to virgin queens at all tested concentrations, with an attraction rate of 63.75% at 1 µg/mL. All samples elicited EAG responses, with the highest relative EAG value (32.9937) observed at 1000 µg/mL EO for small workers. Field experiments further confirmed that several volatile compounds in the EO, specifically β-asarone, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, and 2,4,5-trimethoxy-benzaldehyde, played significant roles in ant attraction. These findings suggest that odorants derived from D. carota flowers show promise as eco-friendly pest control agents.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148172654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Histopathological alterations in the synganglion of female Rhipicephalus linnaei ticks treated with essential oils of Egletes viscosa and Lippia schaueriana","authors":"Melissa Carolina Pereira,&nbsp;Luis Adriano Anholeto,&nbsp;Marina Rodrigues de Abreu,&nbsp;Karina Neoob de Carvalho Castro,&nbsp;Kirley Marques Canuto,&nbsp;Ana Sheila Queiroz de Souza,&nbsp;Maria Izabel Camargo-Mathias","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10256-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10256-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The inappropriate use of synthetic chemical acaricides for tick management has contributed to the selection of acaricide-resistant tick strains, thereby stimulating the search for alternative and effective tick control strategies. Among these, the use of essential oils (EOs) derived from plants such as <i>Egletes viscosa</i> Less. (Asteraceae) and <i>Lippia schaueriana</i> Mart. (Verbenaceae) have shown promise in the control of insects and other arthropods. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of <i>E. viscosa</i> and <i>L. schaueriana</i> EOs on the morphohistology of the tick central nervous system (synganglion)—in <i>Rhipicephalus linnaei</i> semi<i>-</i>engorged females. The morphological alterations in the synganglion were assessed using histopathological and semi-quantitative analyses. The EOs, extracted via hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), revealed 27 constituents in <i>E. viscosa</i> and 18 in <i>L. schaueriana</i>, with cis-isopinocarveol acetate and piperitenone oxide identified as the predominant compounds, respectively. Histological and semi-quantitative analyses of the synganglion in EO-exposed females revealed dose-dependent alterations that were more severe than the mild vacuolization observed in the ethanol control group, primarily characterized by disruptions in the external membrane structures (neurilemma and perineurium), degeneration of the cortical region with hypertrophic, pyknotic, and fragmented neuronal nuclei, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and neuropil fiber disorganization. These findings suggest that the essential oils of <i>E. viscosa</i> and <i>L. schaueriana</i> induce histopathological damage in the synganglion, including neuronal cell damage and potentially impairing other central nervous system-mediated functions, such as feeding and reproduction. This supports the potential of these oils as candidates for the development of novel plant-based acaricides.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10256-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148172655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Companion plant selection to promote Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Heteroptera: Miridae) establishment in tomato cropping systems","authors":"Khaled Jeddi,&nbsp;Ahlem Harbi,&nbsp;Khaled Abbes,&nbsp;Rim Ben Mansour,&nbsp;Kaouthar Jeddi,&nbsp;Kamel Hessini,&nbsp;Kadambot H. M. Siddique,&nbsp;Mohamed Elimem","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10254-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10254-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sustainable tomato pest management increasingly relies on biological control agents such as the predatory mirid <i>Nesidiocoris tenuis</i> (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae). However, its establishment and efficacy are often limited by the insufficient food resources within cropping systems. This study evaluated five native flowering plants—<i>Anethum graveolens</i> (L.), <i>Diplotaxis harra</i> (Forssk.) Boiss., <i>Erucaria pinnata</i> (Viv.) Täckh., <i>Glebionis segetum</i> (L.) Fourr., and <i>Pseuderucaria clavata</i> (Boiss. &amp; Reut.) O. E. Schulz.—as potential companion species to enhance <i>N. tenuis</i> establishment in tomato crops. Female attraction to mixed tomato–companion plant volatiles was assessed using dual-choice Y-tube olfactometer assays, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were characterized by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME–GC-MS). Reproductive suitability was evaluated by quantifying nymphal emergence in no-choice assays. Among the tested species, <i>G. segetum</i> significantly increased female attraction to tomato odors and supported the highest reproductive output of <i>N. tenuis</i>. This species emitted a diverse volatile profile dominated by β-myrcene, santolinatriene, camphor and β-pinene. In contrast, <i>A. graveolens</i>, characterized by high levels of α-phellandrene, D-limonene, dillether and α-terpinolene, reduced female attraction and did not support reproduction. The three Brassicaceae species produced isothiocyanate-rich VOC profiles (e.g. 3-butenyl isothiocyanate and allyl isothiocyanate) which elicited neutral olfactory responses. These results identify <i>G. segetum</i> as a promising companion plant for promoting <i>N. tenuis</i> establishment and persistence in tomato cropping systems. Field validation of this approach could contribute to more sustainable pest management in Mediterranean greenhouse horticulture, particularly in regions such as Tunisia, where pesticide overuse and pest resistance remain major challenges.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148172656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of soil water deficit on flowers and plant-pollinator interactions of two blueberry cultivars","authors":"Helena Castro,&nbsp;Monica Barman,&nbsp;Stefan Dötterl,&nbsp;Maria Celeste Dias,&nbsp;João Loureiro,&nbsp;Sílvia Castro","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10255-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10255-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pollination is a key ecosystem service currently threatened by multiple environmental pressures, including climate change. Drought increases plant physiological stress, reducing the resources available for reproduction and potentially affecting flower traits, mutualistic interactions and fruit production. In blueberry, previous studies have shown that post-harvest drought can reduce flower production in the following year, but its effects on plant-pollinator interactions and fruit set remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated how low water availability influences flower display size, volatile emissions, and nectar rewards, and how these potential changes affect pollinator behavior and fruit production in two insect-dependent blueberry cultivars (‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Duke’). Starting at bud break and continuing throughout flowering, half of the plants of each cultivar were exposed to controlled water deficit, while the remaining plants were well-watered. Overall, our results demonstrate that northern highbush cultivars ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Duke’ differ in several floral traits, yet no significant interaction between cultivar and water treatment was detected, indicating that the response to water deficit was not cultivar dependent. In both cultivars, water deficit reduced nectar production, which likely decreased visitation rates by floral visitors, leading to a decline in fruit set. The solitary bee Anthophora plumipes accounted for the vast majority of visits and showed a preference for control flowers. Our results show that water deficit may influence floral traits linked with pollinator attraction and fidelity and, subsequently, impact the floral visitor behavior and fitness of highbush blueberry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10255-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148172653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}