Species-specific defence responses facilitate conspecifics and inhibit heterospecifics in above-belowground herbivore interactions.

ABSTRACT: Conspecific and heterospecific aboveground and belowground herbivores often occur together in nature and their interactions may determine community structure. Here we show how aboveground adults and belowground larvae of the tallow tree specialist beetle Bikasha collaris and multiple heterospecific aboveground species interact to determine herbivore performance. Conspecific aboveground adults facilitate belowground larvae, but other aboveground damage inhibits larvae or has no effect. Belowground larvae increase conspecific adult feeding, but decrease heterospecific aboveground insect feeding and abundance. Chemical analyses and experiments with plant populations varying in phenolics show that all these positive and negative effects on insects are closely related to root and shoot tannin c

SUBMITTER: Huang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4199110 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature