A novel herbivorous wood-borer insect outbreak triggers die-offs of a foundation plant species in coastal ecosystems

Introduction:Understanding the trophic interactions between plants and herbivorous insects is essential for managing the ecosystem health and sustainability in the context of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance.The Tamarix chinensis is a foundation plant species of salt marshes in northern China,which provides a variety of ecological functions and services in coastal ecosystems such as withstanding storm tide,conserving biodiversity,and preventing shoreline erosion.Outcomes:However,through long-term field observations,for the first time,we found that the health of this population has been suffering from the potential outbreak of a novel wood-borer insect(Zeuzera leuconotum Butler)under multiple stresses,contributing substantially to the degradation of the coastal salt marshes.Discussion and Conclusion:Therefore,there is urgent need and great significance to investigate the potential impact of this herbivorous wood-borer insects on health and sustainability of plant community in coastal ecosystems for in-depth understanding its degradation mechanisms.