Invasive Japanese beetles facilitate aggregation and injury by a native scarab pest of ripening fruits.

摘要: Invasive species' facilitation, or benefiting, of native species is rarely considered in biological invasion literature but could have serious economic consequences should a non-native herbivore facilitate injury by pest high-value crops. Japanese beetle (JB), Popillia japonica, polyphagous scarab, facilitates feeding the obligate fruit-feeding green June (GJB), Cotinis nitida, biting into intact grape berries that GJB, which has blunt spatulate mandibles, otherwise unable to exploit. Here, we show JB further GJB contaminating fruits with yeasts, and creating infection courts for yeasts associated elicit volatiles exploited as aggregation kairomones GJB. Traps baited combinations grapes beetles were used injured alone, combination become highly attractive both sexes Such emit high amounts fermentation compounds compared grapes. Beetle on mash induced same addition winemaker's yeast, similar attraction field. Eight yeast isolated identified from collected grapevine foliage. Establishment spread throughout fruit-growing regions United States likely elevate status other pests ripening vineyards orchards.