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How do plants "notice" attack by herbivorous arthropods?

Monika Hilker¹, Torsten Meiners

¹Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Berlin, Germany. hilker@zedat.fu-berlin.de <hilker@zedat.fu-berlin.de>

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society

|December 8, 2009

Summary

Plants detect herbivore attacks through touch, egg-laying (oviposition), and feeding. Understanding these distinct plant defense responses is crucial for deciphering plant-herbivore communication.

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Area of Science:

Plant Science
Ecology
Entomology

Background:

Plant defense mechanisms are vital for survival against herbivorous arthropods.
Distinguishing between different herbivore attack phases (touch, oviposition, feeding) is key to understanding plant perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on how plants perceive and respond to distinct phases of herbivore attack.
To elucidate the molecular, physiological, and ecological responses of plants to herbivory.

Main Methods:

Literature review of plant-insect interactions.
Analysis of plant signaling pathways.
Synthesis of molecular and physiological data on plant defense.

Main Results:

Plants recognize herbivore attack through multiple cues: mechanical touch, chemical signals from eggs, and oral secretions during feeding.
These cues can act synergistically to prime or activate plant defenses.
Plant responses vary across molecular, physiological, and ecological levels.

Conclusions:

A nuanced understanding of plant perception during different herbivore attack phases is essential.
Unraveling these complex plant-herbivore communication pathways is a significant scientific challenge.