Exploitation of herbivore-induced plant odors by host-seeking parasitic wasps
TL;DR
Plants can't run from caterpillars—but they can call for help. Corn under attack releases volatiles that recruit parasitic wasps to kill the attackers.
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Seminal demonstration that plants under attack release specific volatile chemicals that recruit parasitic wasps—establishing herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) as a key mechanism in indirect defense and tritrophic interactions.
Key Findings from Turlings et al. (1990)
- Corn seedlings release terpenoid volatiles specifically when caterpillars feed (not from mechanical damage alone)
- Caterpillar oral secretions are the trigger—saliva applied to wounds produces the same terpenoid response
- Parasitic wasps (Cotesia marginiventris) learn to associate these volatiles with caterpillar hosts
- Plants effectively recruit natural enemies of their attackers through chemical signaling
- Established the concept of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) in tritrophic defense