Gypsy Moth Caterpillar feeding has only a marginal impact on Phenolic compounds in Old-Growth black poplar
Journal of chemical ecology
G. Andreas Boeckler1, Jonathan Gershenzon1 & Sybille B. Unsicker1*
1 Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Biochemistry, Hans-Knöll Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
* Corresponding author: Sybille B. Unsicker, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany, phone: +49(0)3641 571328, fax: +49(0)3641 571302,
Supplemental Fig. 1 Schematic illustration of the foliage sampled in the 2009 and 2010 experiment.
In 2009 20 different trees were investigated. Six branches of each tree were selected as experimental branches. In each of these branches a mesh bag was installed in a way that it enclosed a similar biomass of leaves (black leaves). Depending on the leaf morphology 10-25 branches were bagged. Some adjacent leaves between the bag and the branch apex were left unenclosed (grey leaves). In half of the mesh bags on each tree, five 4th-instar gypsy moth caterpillars were released. After 48 h, caterpillars and all mesh bags were removed, and one of branch of each treatment was excised and harvested. Enclosed leaves and adjacent leaves were sampled separately. The remaining four branches were sampled 10 and 29 d after the experiment had started (one of each treatment every time).
The 2010 experiment was conducted on one individual tree. In order to standardize the investigated tissue only fresh, non-woody shoots of this year were used as experimental branches (60 branches in total). The six basipetal leaves of each of the experimental branches were bagged and in half of the bags ten 4th instar caterpillars were released. After 2d, the caterpillars and all mesh bags were removed, and ten branches per treatment were harvested. From each branch, the six formerly encaged leaves as well as the four leaves situated just apical to the mesh bag (adjacent leaves) were sampled separately. The sampling procedure was repeated 4 and 7 d after the experiment had started.