Urbaneja-Bernat, P., Rodriguez-Saona, C., Valero, M.L., González-Cabrera, J., & Tena, A. 2024 Not just candy: A herbivore-induced defence-related plant protein in honeydew enhances natural enemy fitness. Functional Ecology https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14605
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Notes: In this study, we hypothesized that honeydew contains herbivore-induced defence-related plant proteins of high nutritional value for natural enemies. To test our hypothesis, we first demonstrated that the honeydew of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri, increases the fitness (longevity and fecundity) of its main natural enemy, the parasitoid Anagyrus vladimiri. We then identified the proteins in the honeydew of the mealybug and six other phloem-feeder species belonging to six families in the order Hemiptera. We also compared the proteins present in the phloem of uninfested citrus plants and of plants infested with the mealybug to assess which proteins were induced by herbivory. Finally, we identified a common protein associated with plant defences in all of the analysed honeydews and evaluated its effect on parasitoid fitness. These results reveal that plants could actively gain protection against herbivores through honeydew excreted by phloem-feeding insects.
