Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae)
Female weevils of the family Attelabidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) possess a unique behaviour of partially cutting the branches connecting egg-bearing organs of their host plants during oviposition. However, the consequence of such behaviour remains unclear. Using <i>Rhynchites foveipennis&...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/200 |
| _version_ | 1797620285518643200 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhi-Ying Zhang Wei Li Qi-Chao Huang Liu Yang Xiao-Lan Chen Ru-Di Xiao Cindy Q. Tang Shao-Ji Hu |
| author_facet | Zhi-Ying Zhang Wei Li Qi-Chao Huang Liu Yang Xiao-Lan Chen Ru-Di Xiao Cindy Q. Tang Shao-Ji Hu |
| author_sort | Zhi-Ying Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Female weevils of the family Attelabidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) possess a unique behaviour of partially cutting the branches connecting egg-bearing organs of their host plants during oviposition. However, the consequence of such behaviour remains unclear. Using <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> and its host pear (<i>Pyrus pyrifolia</i>), the present study tested the hypothesis that the oviposition behaviour could disarm the host plants’ defence. We compared the survival rates, growth rates, and performance of eggs and larvae under two conditions: (1) the fruit stems were naturally damaged by the females before and after oviposition, and (2) the fruit stems were artificially protected from the females. When fruit stems were protected from female damage, the survival rates of eggs and larvae were only 21.3–32.6%, respectively; and the larval weight was 3.2–4.1 mg 30 days after laying eggs. When the fruit stems were damaged, the survival rates of eggs and larvae reached 86.1–94.0%, respectively; and the larval weight reached 73.0–74.9 mg 30 days after laying eggs. The contents of tannin and flavonoids in the pears did not change significantly along with the oviposition and larval feeding, but weevil eggs were crushed and killed by the callus in the pears. Once the stunted larvae in branch-growing pears were moved into the picked-off ones, the growth and development recovered. The findings indicate that the oviposition behaviour can significantly increase the survival of the offspring. Our study suggested that the oviposition behaviour of attelabid weevils is a strategy to overcome plant defence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:39:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c21959ea2b8448ebaf8ba3d2213a3324 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:39:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-c21959ea2b8448ebaf8ba3d2213a33242023-11-16T21:15:14ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502023-02-0114220010.3390/insects14020200Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae)Zhi-Ying Zhang0Wei Li1Qi-Chao Huang2Liu Yang3Xiao-Lan Chen4Ru-Di Xiao5Cindy Q. Tang6Shao-Ji Hu7School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaInstitute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, ChinaFemale weevils of the family Attelabidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) possess a unique behaviour of partially cutting the branches connecting egg-bearing organs of their host plants during oviposition. However, the consequence of such behaviour remains unclear. Using <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> and its host pear (<i>Pyrus pyrifolia</i>), the present study tested the hypothesis that the oviposition behaviour could disarm the host plants’ defence. We compared the survival rates, growth rates, and performance of eggs and larvae under two conditions: (1) the fruit stems were naturally damaged by the females before and after oviposition, and (2) the fruit stems were artificially protected from the females. When fruit stems were protected from female damage, the survival rates of eggs and larvae were only 21.3–32.6%, respectively; and the larval weight was 3.2–4.1 mg 30 days after laying eggs. When the fruit stems were damaged, the survival rates of eggs and larvae reached 86.1–94.0%, respectively; and the larval weight reached 73.0–74.9 mg 30 days after laying eggs. The contents of tannin and flavonoids in the pears did not change significantly along with the oviposition and larval feeding, but weevil eggs were crushed and killed by the callus in the pears. Once the stunted larvae in branch-growing pears were moved into the picked-off ones, the growth and development recovered. The findings indicate that the oviposition behaviour can significantly increase the survival of the offspring. Our study suggested that the oviposition behaviour of attelabid weevils is a strategy to overcome plant defence.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/200weevilsCurculionoideapearcallustanninflavonoid |
| spellingShingle | Zhi-Ying Zhang Wei Li Qi-Chao Huang Liu Yang Xiao-Lan Chen Ru-Di Xiao Cindy Q. Tang Shao-Ji Hu Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) Insects weevils Curculionoidea pear callus tannin flavonoid |
| title | Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) |
| title_full | Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) |
| title_fullStr | Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) |
| title_short | Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in <i>Rhynchites foveipennis</i> (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) |
| title_sort | cut to disarm plant defence a unique oviposition behaviour in i rhynchites foveipennis i coleoptera attelabidae |
| topic | weevils Curculionoidea pear callus tannin flavonoid |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/200 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhiyingzhang cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT weili cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT qichaohuang cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT liuyang cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT xiaolanchen cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT rudixiao cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT cindyqtang cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae AT shaojihu cuttodisarmplantdefenceauniqueovipositionbehaviourinirhynchitesfoveipennisicoleopteraattelabidae |