Silica in grasses as a defence against insect herbivores: contrasting effects on folivores and a phloem feeder

The Journal of Animal Ecology
Fergus P MasseySue E Hartley

Abstract

1. Silica, deposited as opaline phytoliths in the leaves of grasses, constitutes 2-5% of dry leaf mass, yet its function remains unclear. It has been proposed that silica may act as an antiherbivore defence by increasing the abrasiveness and reducing the digestibility of grass leaves, although there is little direct experimental evidence to support this. 2. We investigated the effects of manipulated silica levels on the abrasiveness of the leaves of five grass species. We also examined the effects of silica levels on the feeding preferences, growth performance and digestion efficiency of two folivorous insects and one phloem-feeding insect. 3. Silica addition resulted in increases to leaf abrasiveness in four of the five grass species studied. Silica addition also deterred feeding by both folivores and reduced their growth rates and digestion efficiency. 4. These effects resulted in lower pupal mass of the lepidopteron larvae Spodoptera exempta and compensatory feeding by the orthopteran, Schistocerca gregaria. In contrast, silica had no effects on the feeding preference or the population growth of the phloem feeder, Sitobion avenae. 5. Our results demonstrate that silica is an effective defence against folivorous insects, both...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 22, 2007·Oecologia·Fergus P MasseySue E Hartley
May 24, 2008·Natural Product Reports·Heinz C SchröderWerner E G Müller
Mar 28, 2008·Biology Letters·Carlos Peña, Niklas Wahlberg
Dec 3, 2013·Trends in Plant Science·Honghua HeHans Lambers
Mar 13, 2014·Journal of Human Evolution·Diana Rabenold, Osbjorn M Pearson
Nov 20, 2015·The New Phytologist·Chase M MasonLisa A Donovan
Aug 5, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jing XiaLinmao Qian
Jan 31, 2012·Plant Science : an International Journal of Experimental Plant Biology·John GrayErich Grotewold
Sep 6, 2008·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Fergus P Massey, Sue E Hartley
Mar 18, 2008·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Malcolm G Keeping, Olivia L Kvedaras
Jan 28, 2015·Zoology : Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS·Jan MichelsStanislav N Gorb
Jan 31, 2015·Bulletin of Entomological Research·G JumaP-A Calatayud
Aug 14, 2008·Annals of Botany·J W HuntA R Ennos
Mar 2, 2019·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Ellen Schulz-KornasKornelius Kupczik
Feb 14, 2019·Oecologia·Richard KarbanRobert Latta
Aug 5, 2017·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Ranjit Kumar SahooUllasa Kodandaramaiah
Feb 14, 2018·Annals of Botany·Adam FrewGeoff M Gurr
Jun 28, 2020·Journal of Experimental Botany·Archana SinghIndrakant Kumar Singh
Jun 28, 2020·Journal of Experimental Botany·Rushil MandlikRupesh Deshmukh
May 27, 2017·Advanced Science·Maria PierantoniSteve Weiner
Mar 31, 2019·Nature Communications·Andreas SchuldtNico Eisenhauer

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