Journal of Chemical Ecology (2021) 47, 642-652
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High-throughput feeding bioassay for Lepidoptera larvae
Journal of Chemical Ecology 47 (7), 642-652
Abstract: Finding plant cultivars that are resistant or tolerant against lepidopteran pests, takes time, effort and is costly. We present here a high throughput leaf-disk consumption assay system, to screen plants for resistance or chemicals for their deterrence. A webcam capturing images at regular intervals can follow the feeding activities of 150 larvae placed into individual cages. We developed a computer program running under an open source image analysis program to analyze and measure the surface of each leaf disk over time. We further developed new statistical procedures to analyze the time course of the feeding activities of the larvae and to compare them between treatments. As a test case, we compared how European corn borer larvae respond to a commercial antifeedant containing azadirachtin, and to quinine, which is a bitter alkaloid for many organisms. As expected, increasing doses of azadirachtin reduced and delayed feeding. However, quinine was poorly effective at the range of concentrations tested (10–5 M to 10–2 M). The model cage, the camera holder, the plugins, and the R scripts are freely available, and can be modified according to the users' needs.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Frédéric Marion-Poll
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ostrinia nubilalis | Maize/corn (Zea mays) |
