Open Access

ARTICLE

Chemically Mediated Interactions between Grapevine, Aphid, Ladybird, and Ant in the Context of Insect Chemical Ecology

Taghreed Alsufyani^1,*, Noura J. Alotaibi², Nour Houda M’sakni¹, Mona A. Almalki¹, Eman M. Alghamdi³
1 Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
3 Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King AbdulAziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
* Corresponding Author: Taghreed Alsufyani. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2024.050351

Received 04 February 2024; Accepted 24 May 2024; Published online 10 July 2024

Abstract

This study simplifies the complex relationship among grapevine plants, aphids, ladybirds, and ants, which is essential for effective pest management and ecological balance. This study investigated the impact of aphid attacks and the presence of ants and ladybirds on the volatile compounds profile released into the chemosphere of the community consisting of the common vine Vitis vinifera, the aphid Aphis illinoisensis, the ladybird Coccinella undecimpunctata-and the ant Tapinoma magnum. This study aims to analyze the volatile compounds emitted by the grapevine and surrounding insects in response to these intricate interactions. The extraction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was carried out using closed-loop stripping (CLS) and then analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and principles coordinated analysis (PCA) was performed. The grapevine was exposed to different types and order of treatments, including non-infested, aphid-infested, aphid-infested with ant, aphid-infested with ladybird, and various combinations of ant and ladybird. After the aphid attack, the outcomes uncovered massive alterations in the volatile compound profiles. Infested grapevine displayed distinct emissions of germacrene D, an alcohol, and an alkene compared to non-infested plants. The characteristic VOC profile was the share of infested grapes in the presence of ants, with benzene derivatives and sesquiterpenes dominating the components. The coexistence of ladybirds with ants and aphids resulted in a different volatile profile characterized by elevated levels of aldehydes, ketones, α-farnesene, and its hydroxy derivative. It was concluded that the emission of VOCs into the chemosphere of the grapevine communities varied qualitatively and quantitatively depending on the level of the relationship complexity within each community in response to the infestation of grapevines by aphids, the presence of ladybirds as natural predators, and the presence of ant as protector. The grapevine’s status-dependent compounds can serve as indicators of infestation status and contribute to non-destructive early-stage diagnosis of the aphid.

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Keywords

Aphids; Aphis illinoisensis; volatile organic compounds; chemosphere; pest management; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; closed-loop stripping

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