Herbivore behaviour

The surfaces of all higher plants are covered by a layer of cuticular waxes. These are composed mainly of long-chain aliphatic components but also of cyclic compounds. The primary role of the waxes is to prevent uncontrolled water loss. The chemical composition of plant cuticular waxes can affect the resistance of plants to herbivores and herbivore behaviour. Cuticular waxes and their separate components enhance or deter insect oviposition, movement or feeding. 

Borell EM, Foggo A, Coleman RA (2004) Induced resistance in intertidal macroalgae modifies feeding behaviour of herbivorous snails. Oecologia 140 328-334... 

At each stage of the interaction between an individual plant species and an individual insect herbivore species, there are opportunities for the plant to gain fitness by influencing the behaviour of the insect as well as directly reducing insect fimess by attacking the basic physiology of the insect. But before considering this further, one has to address the concept of cost-benefit analysis. 

Hannson, L.A., Behavioural response in plants adjustment in algal recruitment induced by herbivores, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B, 263, 1241, 1996. 

VAN POECKE, R.M., POSTHUMUS, M.A., DICKE, M., Herbivore-induced volatile production by Arabidopsis thaliana leads to attraction of the parasitoid Cotesia rubecula Chemical, behavioural, and gene-expression analysis., J. Chem. Ecol., 2001, 27,1911-1928. 

The behaviour of herbivorous insects is often integrated with their host plants in a range of ways. This integration can be apparent from the... 

Stadler, E., Behavioural responses of insects to plant secondary compounds, in Herbivores Their Interactions with Secondary Plant Metabolites, Vol. 2 (G. A. Rosenthal and M. R. Beren-baum, eds.), 45-88, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1992. 

Chemicals, known as semiochemicals, are compounds produced by plants that play a pivotal role in their selection by insects as hosts due to their ability to exert behavioural or developmental effects. They may be released into the atmosphere and used as cues by herbivorous insects to locate their hosts or they may be involved in the modulation of insect feeding. Alternatively, they may protect the plant by attracting insects that prey on or parasitize herbivorous pests. 

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