Psychomanipulation hypothesis

The psychomanipulation hypothesis predicts that plants obtain a measure of protection from insect herbivores by accumulating secondary substances which act in the CNS to change the herbivore s behavior in ways that reduce or prevent further herbivory. 

Evidence that substances can act as psychomanipulants has been presented here, but further research in the area is necessary. To definitively test this hypothesis it is essential to obtain quantitative estimates of the individual psychomanipulative substances occurring in plants, to demonstrate that they necessarily and sufficiently account for the change in behavior, and finally to show that psychomanipulation is the result of an action of these substances within the insect CNS. The first two criteria can be met using currently available methods. Locating the site of action within the CNS is more difficult and will require innovative application of combined behavioral, neurophysiological and neuropharmacological techniques. 

Psychomanipulation of Insects. Murdock et al. (41) have developed the hypothesis that certain plant chemicals consumed by feeding Insects interfere with information processing in the insect s central nervous system and thereby modify behavior. Two plant... 

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