视觉信号在昆虫检测植物寄主中的作用

The role of visual signals in insect detection of plant hosts

植物为数十万种昆虫提供各种资源,如食物、交配、产卵和躲避天敌的场所。目前对昆虫检测植物寄主的研究主要关注昆虫嗅觉系统和植物寄主挥发物之间的相互作用,对昆虫视觉系统发挥的作用关注较少。近年来,对昆虫视觉器官、光行为反应及分子生物学的研究表明,昆虫具有优异的视觉能力,能够辨别植物寄主的颜色、大小和轮廓,应该将视觉纳入昆虫检测植物寄主的研究中。昆虫能够利用视觉信号准确检测寄主,远距离时,主要依靠植物寄主轮廓检测寄主,近距离时,寄主的大小、颜色和形状发挥重要作用。利用昆虫视觉识别寄主的专一性研制诱捕装置,可为害虫的监测和防治提供一定的理论基础。

There are hundreds of thousands of insect species for which plants provide a variety of resources such as adult food,mating encounter sites,ovipositional sites,shelter from harmful biotic agents.At present,the research on insect detection plant hosts is mainly concentrated on the interaction of insect olfactory systems and plant host volatiles,while the role of vision systems in insect interactions with host plants has been relatively received little attention.Recent studies on insect visual organs,photobehavioral responses and molecular biology have shown that insects have excellent visual ability to discriminate the color,size,and outline of plant hosts,and visual cues always should be considered into the studies of host finding.Insects can use visual signals to accurately detect hosts,when insects are detecting plant hosts in a long distance,mainly rely on the outline of the host;at close range,the size,color and shape of the host play an important role.Using the specificity visual recognition of insect to host plant could provide a theoretical basis for the monitor and control of pests,such as developing species-specific traps.