From leaves to aphid honeydew: the zucchini plants enrich bacterium to recruit natural enemy to resist herbivore attacks.

ABSTRACT: Plants have evolved intricate defense strategies to combat herbivorous insect attacks, including the production of toxic secondary metabolites and the attraction of natural enemies. While bacterial-mediated direct toxicity in plant defenses has been demonstrated, the ecological mechanisms by which plants utilize bacteria to indirectly modulate the behavior of natural enemies remain insufficiently explored. In this study, we observed a significant enrichment of Staphylococcus in the tissues of zucchini Cucurbita pepo following infestation by the cotton-melon aphid Aphis gossypii. These bacteria traced from the damaged plant stems and leaves were subsequently found both in aphids and in their secreted honeydew. Among the four dominant bacterial strains isolated from the honeydew, Staphylococ

SUBMITTER: Liu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12905166 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature