Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Metabolic plasticity supports a flexible nutritional symbiosis in Cardiocondyla ants

Abstract Nutritional symbioses have repeatedly evolved in insects, yet how hosts regulate these partnerships to balance benefits across development and environments remains unclear. Ants provide an exceptional system to address this question, as several lineages maintain ancient...

Herbivory‐Induced Stomatal Opening Triggers the Dispersal of an Invasive Insect Herbivore

Stomata play important roles in plant responses to phytopathogens, but less is known about their roles in plant-herbivore interactions. Herbivore damage commonly closes stomata but also elicits the release of herbivory-induced plant volatiles, important mediators of plant-herbivo...

Single and MultipleInfestation by Coccoid Pests inCoffee Shape Plant Chemical Defenses and Interactions Across TrophicLevels

Abstract Crop plants are attacked by multiple pests, inducing metabolic changes that shape interactions across trophic levels and influence the effectiveness of biological control. We examined how infestation by the coccoids Coccus viridis (scales) and Planococcus citri (mealybug...

Pangenome analyses reveal divergence and extensive introgression in two global corn pests

Introgression between closely related species can profoundly influence evolutionary trajectories, yet how genomic divergence interacts with introgression, especially in invasive hybridization, remains insufficiently understood. Structural variants (SVs), particularly chromosomal...