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Light‐Driven Soft Robot Mimics Caterpillar Locomotion in Natural Scale Open
Soft robots that can be remotely powered and controlled and mimic locomotion of living species open new perspectives in science and engineering. A natural‐scale monolithic caterpillar robot based on an optomechanical liquid crystalline ela…
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An effector from cotton bollworm oral secretion impairs host plant defense signaling Open
Significance Plants recognize insect-derived molecules and make the accurate defense response during herbivory. However, insects release effectors that disturb host plant defense responses for fitness. Effectors are crucial components in b…
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Impact of urbanization on abundance and phenology of caterpillars and consequences for breeding in an insectivorous bird Open
Urbanization can have marked effects on plant and animal populations’ phenology, population size, predator–prey, interactions and reproductive success. These aspects are rarely studied simultaneously in a single system, and some are rarely…
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Tritrophic phenological match–mismatch in space and time Open
Increasing temperatures associated with climate change may generate phenological mismatches that disrupt previously synchronous trophic interactions. Most work on mismatch has focused on temporal trends, whereas spatial variation in the de…
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The demise of caterpillar fungus in the Himalayan region due to climate change and overharvesting Open
Demand for traditional medicine ingredients is causing species declines globally. Due to this trade, Himalayan caterpillar fungus ( Ophiocordyceps sinensis ) has become one of the world’s most valuable biological commodities, providing a c…
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Role of the intestinal microbiome in low-density polyethylene degradation by caterpillar larvae of the greater wax moth, <i>Galleria mellonella</i> Open
Recently, a few insects, including the caterpillar larva of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella , have been identified as avid ‘plastivores’. These caterpillars are able to ingest and metabolize polyethylene at unprecedented rates. Wh…
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Microbiological Load of Edible Insects Found in Belgium Open
Edible insects are gaining more and more attention as a sustainable source of animal protein for food and feed in the future. In Belgium, some insect products can be found on the market, and consumers are sourcing fresh insects from fishin…
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Rapid defense responses in maize leaves induced by Spodoptera exigua caterpillar feeding Open
Insects such as the beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) cause extensive damage to maize (Zea mays). Maize plants respond by triggering defense signaling, changes in gene expression, and biosynthesis of specialized metabolites. Leaves of maiz…
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Street lighting has detrimental impacts on local insect populations Open
Direct evidence shows that artificial light at night reduces caterpillar abundance and disrupts larval behavior and development.
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Intraspecific phytochemical variation shapes community and population structure for specialist caterpillars Open
Summary Chemically mediated plant–herbivore interactions contribute to the diversity of terrestrial communities and the diversification of plants and insects. While our understanding of the processes affecting community structure and evolu…
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Visual representations of meta-analyses of multiple outcomes: Extensions to forest plots, funnel plots, and caterpillar plots Open
Meta-analytic datasets can be large, especially when in primary studies multiple effect sizes are reported. The visualization of meta-analytic data is therefore useful to summarize data and understand information reported in primary studie…
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Integrated behavioural and stable isotope data reveal altered diet linked to low breeding success in urban-dwelling blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) Open
Animals often show reduced reproductive success in urban compared to adjacent natural areas. The lower availability and quality of natural food in cities is suggested as one key limiting factor. However, only few studies have provided conc…
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Convergent evolution of a metabolic switch between aphid and caterpillar resistance in cereals Open
Maize and wheat independently evolved the capacity to control plant defenses through O -methylation of regulatory benzoxazinoids.
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Caterpillar-induced rice volatiles provide enemy-free space for the offspring of the brown planthopper Open
Plants typically release large quantities of volatiles in response to herbivory by insects. This benefits the plants by, for instance, attracting the natural enemies of the herbivores. We show that the brown planthopper (BPH) has cleverly …
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Rain downpours affect survival and development of insect herbivores: the specter of climate change? Open
Changes in the frequency, duration, and intensity of rainfall events are among the abiotic effects predicted under anthropogenic global warming. Heavy downpours may profoundly affect the development and survival of small organisms such as …
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Symbiotic polydnavirus of a parasite manipulates caterpillar and plant immunity Open
Significance The role of herbivore-associated microbes in mediating plant–herbivore interactions has gained recent attention. We show that a parasitoid associated with its caterpillar host not only suppresses the immune system of the cater…
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Diet influences proliferation and stability of gut bacterial populations in herbivorous lepidopteran larvae Open
Animals have ubiquitous associations with microorganisms, but microbial community composition and population dynamics can vary depending upon many environmental factors, including diet. The bacterial communities present in caterpillar (Lep…
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Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): Current Status of Biology, Ecology, and Management in Europe with Notes from North America Open
The European Spongy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), is an abundant species found in oak woods in Central and Southern Europe, the Near East, and North Africa and is an important economic pest. It is a voracious eater a…
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Intraspecific differences in plant defense induction by fall armyworm strains Open
Summary The underlying adaptive mechanisms by which insect strains are associated with specific plants are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of herbivore‐induced defenses in the host plant association of fall armywor…
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Herbivore-specific induction of indirect and direct defensive responses in leaves and roots Open
Herbivory can induce both general and specific responses in plants that modify direct and indirect defence against subsequent herbivory. The type of induction (local versus systemic induction, single versus multiple defence induction) like…
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Leaf trichomes affect caterpillar feeding in an instar-specific manner Open
Leaf trichomes play well-established roles in defense against insect herbivores, both as a physical barrier that impedes herbivore movement and by mediating chemical defenses. However, little work has examined how different trichome types …
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Effect of prior drought and pathogen stress on<i>Arabidopsis</i>transcriptome changes to caterpillar herbivory Open
Summary In nature, plants are exposed to biotic and abiotic stresses that often occur simultaneously. Therefore, plant responses to combinations of stresses are most representative of how plants respond to stresses. We used RNA seq to asse…
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Caterpillar-induced plant volatiles attract conspecific adults in nature Open
Plants release volatiles in response to caterpillar feeding that attract natural enemies of the herbivores, a tri-trophic interaction which has been considered an indirect plant defence against herbivores. The caterpillar-induced plant vol…
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Behavioral Effect of Plant Volatiles Binding to Spodoptera littoralis Larval Odorant Receptors Open
Phytophagous insects use volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted by plants to orient towards their hosts. In lepidopteran pests, crop damages are caused by larval stages-the caterpillars-that feed extensively on leaves or other plant tiss…
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Disrupting butterfly caterpillar microbiomes does not impact their survival and development Open
Associations with gut microbes are believed to play crucial roles in the physiology, immune function, development and behaviour of insects. However, microbiome sequencing has recently suggested that butterflies are an anomaly, because thei…
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Parasitic wasp‐associated symbiont affects plant‐mediated species interactions between herbivores Open
Microbial mutualistic symbiosis is increasingly recognised as a hidden driving force in the ecology of plant–insect interactions. Although plant‐associated and herbivore‐associated symbionts clearly affect interactions between plants and h…
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Evolutionary history of host use, rather than plant phylogeny, determines gene expression in a generalist butterfly Open
Our findings suggest that V. cardui may use two sets of expressed genes to achieve polyphagy, one associated with the ancestral capability to consume Rosids and Asterids, and another allowing the caterpillar to incorporate a wide range of …
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Plant spines deter herbivory by restricting caterpillar movement Open
The spines of flowering plants are thought to function primarily in defence against mammalian herbivores; however, we previously reported that feeding by Manduca sexta caterpillars on the leaves of horsenettle plants ( Solanum carolinense …
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Distance-dependent aposematism and camouflage in the cinnabar moth caterpillar (<i>Tyria jacobaeae</i>, Erebidae) Open
Defended prey often use distinctive, conspicuous, colours to advertise their unprofitability to potential predators (aposematism). These warning signals are frequently made up of salient, high contrast, stripes which have been hypothesized…
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Caterpillar Venom: A Health Hazard of the 21st Century Open
Caterpillar envenomation is a global health threat in the 21st century. Every direct or indirect contact with the urticating hairs of a caterpillar results in clinical manifestations ranging from local dermatitis symptoms to potentially li…