Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Edifici C, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB), Cerdanyola del Vallès (Bellaterra), 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
J Chem Ecol. 2010 Jul;36(7):689-98. doi: 10.1007/s10886-010-9815-1. Epub 2010 Jun 15.
The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) depends on temperature and light. Other factors such as insect herbivory also may modify VOC emission. In particular, aphid feeding promotes the release of new compounds and changes the composition of plant volatile blends. Given that some aphids are tended by ants, we investigated whether ants change the emission of VOCs indirectly through attendance on aphids. The effect of Lachnus roboris aphids and two different tending ant species on terpene emission rates of 4-year-old holm oak (Quercus ilex) saplings was investigated during a field experiment. There were five treatments: saplings alone (T1), saplings infested with L. roboris aphids (T2), saplings infested with aphids tended by the local ant Lasius grandis (T3), those tended by small colonies of the invasive ant Lasius neglectus (T4), and those tended by large colonies of the same invasive ant species (T5). The infestation by L. roboris elicited the emission of Delta(3)-carene and increased the emission of myrcene and gamma-terpinene. Terpene emissions were modified depending on the tending ant species. Attendance by the local ant L. grandis increased alpha and beta-pinene and sabinene. Attendance by the invasive ant L. neglectus only decreased significantly the emission of myrcene, one of the major compounds of the Q. ilex blend. Aphid abundance decreased with time for all treatments, but there was no difference in aphid abundance among treatments. Total terpene emission rates were not correlated with aphid abundance. These results highlight that aphids and tending ants may change terpene emission rates, depending on the ant species.
挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）的排放取决于温度和光照。其他因素，如昆虫取食，也可能改变 VOC 的排放。特别是，蚜虫取食会促进新化合物的释放，并改变植物挥发性混合物的组成。鉴于一些蚜虫是由蚂蚁照顾的，我们研究了蚂蚁是否通过照顾蚜虫间接改变 VOC 的排放。在野外实验中，研究了 4 年生欧洲栓皮栎（Quercus ilex）实生苗上的 Lachnus roboris 蚜虫和两种不同的护育蚂蚁物种对萜烯排放速率的影响。有五种处理方式：单独的实生苗（T1）、受 L. roboris 蚜虫侵害的实生苗（T2）、受当地蚂蚁 Lasius grandis 护育的蚜虫侵害的实生苗（T3）、受入侵蚂蚁 Lasius neglectus 小群体护育的实生苗（T4）和受同一种入侵蚂蚁大群体护育的实生苗（T5）。L. roboris 的侵害引发了 Delta(3)-蒈烯的排放，并增加了苎烯和γ-松油烯的排放。萜烯的排放取决于护育蚂蚁的物种。当地蚂蚁 L. grandis 的护育增加了 α-和 β-蒎烯以及 Sabinene。入侵蚂蚁 L. neglectus 的护育仅显著降低了苎烯的排放，苎烯是 Q. ilex 混合物的主要化合物之一。所有处理的蚜虫数量随时间减少，但处理之间的蚜虫数量没有差异。总萜烯排放速率与蚜虫数量无关。这些结果表明，蚜虫和护育蚂蚁可能会根据蚂蚁的物种改变萜烯排放速率。
