Combining phytochemicals and multitrophic interactions to control forest insect pests

Pilar Fernandez-Conradi (1) , Bastien Castagneyrol (1) , Hervé Jactel (1) , Sergio Rasmann (2)

1 BioGeCo - Biodiversité, Gènes & Communautés
2 Institute of Biology of the University of Neuchâtel

Forest pests can cause massive ecological and economic damage worldwide. Ecologically sound solutions to diminish forest insect pest impacts include the use of their natural enemies, such as predators and parasitoids, as well as entomopathogenic fungi, bacteria or viruses. Phytochemical compounds mediate most interactions between these organisms, but knowledge of such chemically mediated multitrophic relationships is still at its infancy for forest systems, particularly when compared to agricultural systems. Here, we highlight the main gaps in how phytochemicals of forest trees facilitate or interfere with trophic interactions between trees, insect herbivores, and interacting organisms including predators, parasitoids and microbes. We propose future avenues of research on phytochemical-based biocontrol of forest pests taking into account the characteristics of trees and forests.

Mots clés: Biocontrol; Insect Control; forest

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Pilar Fernandez-Conradi, Bastien Castagneyrol, Hervé Jactel, Sergio Rasmann. Combining phytochemicals and multitrophic interactions to control forest insect pests. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2021, 44, pp.101-106. ⟨10.1016/j.cois.2021.04.007⟩. ⟨hal-03252404⟩