Volatile induction of infected and neighbouring uninfected plants potentially influence attraction/repellence of a cereal herbivore

Pathogen infection can induce plant volatile organic compounds ( VOC s). We infected ‘ M c N eal’ wheat and ‘ H arrington’ barley with a F usarium spp. blend ( F . graminearum , F . avenaceum and F . culmorum ). Both cereals had the greatest VOC induction 14 days after pathogen innoculation, only slightly lower induction occurred at 7 days, but displayed no induction at 1 days. The induced VOC bouquet for both cereals included six green leaf volatiles ( GLV s; e.g. ( Z )‐3‐hexenol and ( Z )‐3‐hexenyl acetate), four terpenes (linalool, linalool oxide, ( Z )‐β‐ocimene and ( E )‐ β ‐caryophyllene) and benzyl acetate. Neighbouring, uninfected individuals of both cereals had significant VOC induction when exposed to an infected, conspecific plant. The temporal pattern and VOC blend were qualitatively similar to infected plants but with quantitative reductions for all induced VOC s. The degree of neighbouring, uninfected plant induction was negatively related to distance from an infected plant. Plant VOC induction in response to pathogen infection potentially influences herbivore attraction or repellency. Y‐tube tests showed that herbivorous female and male O ulema cyanella V oet. ( C hrysomelidae: C oleoptera) were significantly attracted to ( Z )‐3‐hexenal and ( Z )‐3‐hexenyl acetate at 300 and 1500 ng/h but were repelled by both GLV s as well as ( Z )‐β‐ocimene and linalool at 7500 ng/h. These O . cyanella behavioural responses were significantly at higher concentrations than those emitted by single plants with pathogen‐induced VOC s, so adults might only be able to respond to a dense group of infected plants. Also, O . cyanella dose responses differ from the previously tested congeneric O . melanopus (cereal leaf beetle), which was attracted to three VOC s induced by Fusarium infection of maize, barley and wheat. Future behavioural tests may indicate whether different herbivore dose responses measured with each VOC singly can help to predict attraction or repellency to injured and uninjured VOC bouquets from different host plant species.