Phytochemical-Mediated Tritrophic Interactions: Effects of Pepper and Eggplant Cultivars on the Green Peach Aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Its Predators
Golparvar Z. Hassanpour M. Golizadeh A. Ganbalani G.N. Dastjerdi H.R. Oszako T. Hosseini M. Łuniewski S. Jalinik M. Bouket A.C.
October 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Insects
2025#16Issue 10
The diverse phytochemical profiles of host plants can significantly influence their interactions with herbivores and natural enemies. This study investigated the ‘bottom-up’ effects of several bell pepper and eggplant cultivars on the development, reproduction, and survival of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and its predators, Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). We analyzed the leaves of each cultivar for levels of total flavonoids, phenols, anthocyanins, and key defensive enzymes. The eggplant cultivar ‘Longo’ exhibited the highest concentration of secondary metabolites. Aphid populations reared on this cultivar’s leaves showed a slower growth rate compared to those on other cultivars. Conversely, predators fed on these aphids demonstrated higher rates of population growth and produced more offspring. Accordingly, the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) was lower for aphids feeding on ‘Longo’, but significantly higher for both A. aphidimyza and C. carnea when fed those aphids. These results demonstrate that elevated secondary metabolites on ‘Longo’ suppress the performance of M. persicae while enhancing predator efficiency, thereby providing a phytochemical-based approach that can serve as an effective component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs.
green peach aphid , life history traits , plant–insect interactions , secondary metabolites , tritrophic interactions
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Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, 5619911367, Iran
Forest Research Institute, 3 Braci Leśnej Street, Sękocin Stary, 05-090, Poland
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, 9177948974, Iran
L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, 010008, Kazakhstan
Institute of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Białystok University of Technology, ul. Wiejska 45E, Białystok, 15-351, Poland
East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Centre, Plant Protection Research Department, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tabriz, 53551-79854, Iran
Department of Plant Protection
Forest Research Institute
Department of Plant Protection
L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Institute of Forest Sciences
East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Centre
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