Drought impact on gall formation

What is it about?

Water stress can affect gall formation by insects. In the aphid-tree interaction investigated, a severe water stress impeded gall formation, and consequently hampered aphid development. Interestingly for a mild water stress the effect varied according to the susceptibility of the host plant. While it had no effect on a susceptible host genotype, the water stress favoured aphid development on a resistant one, probably through a release of resistance mechanisms.

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Why is it important?

Reviews and metanalyses often report that plant-manipulating insects, like gall-inducers for instance, are consistently negatively affected by water shortage. This study demonstrates that it could depend on the host resistance level and on the outcome of water stress on both plant growth and resistance level.