Constitutive and herbivore-induced plant volatiles differentially attract an omnivorous biocontrol agent

Little is known about how herbivore-induced plant volatiles affect omnivorous predators. In a recent paper in AoB PLANTS, Lehrman et al. show that the key predator Anthocoris nemorum is differentially attracted to three Salix clones when these are damaged by the detrimental blue willow beetle (Phratora vulgatissima). At least two volatile plant compounds were induced by the herbivore, and these were antennal active in the predator. The results elucidate how plants may recruit omnivorous predators when damaged. These findings could be utilized in crop breeding for increased resistance against herbivores.