Intruding into a conversation: how behavioral manipulation could support management of Xylella fastidiosa and its insect vectors

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Abstract

Behavioral manipulation (BM) is a multimodal control approach based on the interference with the stimuli mediating insect perception and interaction with the surroundings. BM could represent a win–win strategy for the management of vector-borne plant pathogens as the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, since it could reduce the number of vectors alighting on host plants and, consequently, the chances for transmission to occur. In this review, we summarized current knowledge and highlighted gaps in information on (i) how insect vectors of X. fastidiosa in general, and more specifically the meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius, locate and accept the host plant ; and (ii) how behavioral manipulation techniques could be applied to disrupt the vector–host plant interaction. Finally, we discussed how diverse BM strategies could be combined with other integrated pest management tools to protect olive groves from inoculation with the fastidious bacterium.

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Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers

Francisco Sánchez-Bayo, Kris A.G. Wyckhuys (2019)

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Insect host location: a volatile situation.

Toby J. A. Bruce, Lester Wadhams, Christine Woodcock (2005)

Locating a host plant is crucial for a phytophagous (herbivorous) insect to fulfill its nutritional requirements and to find suitable oviposition sites. Insects can locate their hosts even though the host plants are often hidden among an array of other plants. Plant volatiles play an important role in this host-location process. The recognition of a host plant by these olfactory signals could occur by using either species-specific compounds or specific ratios of ubiquitous compounds. Currently, most studies favor the second scenario, with strong evidence that plant discrimination is due to central processing of olfactory signals by the insect, rather than their initial detection. Furthermore, paired or clustered olfactory receptor neurons might enable fine-scale spatio-temporal resolution of the complex signals encountered when ubiquitous compounds are used.

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Perception of plant volatile blends by herbivorous insects--finding the right mix.

Toby J. A. Bruce, John A. Pickett (2011)

Volatile plant secondary metabolites are detected by the highly sensitive olfactory system employed by insects to locate suitable plants as hosts and to avoid unsuitable hosts. Perception of these compounds depends on olfactory receptor neurones (ORNs) in sensillae, mostly on the insect antennae, which can recognise individual molecular structures. Perception of blends of plant volatiles plays a pivotal role in host recognition, non-host avoidance and ensuing behavioural responses as different responses can occur to a whole blend compared to individual components. There are emergent properties of blend perception because components of the host blend may not be recognised as host when perceived outside the context of that blend. Often there is redundancy in the composition of blends recognised as host because certain compounds can be substituted by others. Fine spatio-temporal resolution of the synchronous firing of ORNs tuned to specific compounds enables insects to pick out relevant host odour cues against high background noise and with ephemeral exposure to the volatiles at varying concentrations. This task is challenging as they usually rely on ubiquitous plant volatiles and not those taxonomically characteristic of host plants. However, such an odour coding system has the advantage of providing flexibility; it allows for adaptation to changing environments by alterations in signal processing while maintaining the same peripheral olfactory receptors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.