AN ELICITOR OF PLANT VOLATILES FROM BEET ARMYWORM ORAL SECRETION

The compound N-(17-hydroxylinolenoyl)-L-glutamine (named here voliciti n) was isolated from oral secretions of beet armyworm caterpillars. Wh en applied to damaged leaves of corn seedlings, volicitin induces the seedlings to emit volatile compounds that attract parasitic wasps, nat ural enemies of the caterpillars. Mechanical damage of the leaves, wit hout application of this compound, did not trigger release of the same blend of volatiles. Volicitin is a key component in a chain of chemic al signals and biochemical processes that regulate tritrophic interact ions among plants, insect herbivores, and natural enemies of the herbi vores.