Cross-kingdom interactions matter fungal-mediated.pdfVIP

L E T T E R Cross-kingdom interactions matter: fungal-mediated interactions structure an insect community on oak Ayco J. M. Tack,1* Sofia Gripenberg1,2 and Tomas Roslin3 Abstract Although phytophagous insects and plant pathogens frequently share the same host plant, interactions among such phylogenetically distant taxa have received limited attention. Here, we place pathogens and insects in the context of a multitrophic-level community. Focusing on the invasive powdery mildew Erysiphe alphitoides and the insect community on oak (Quercus robur), we demonstrate that mildew–insect interactions may be mediated by both the host plant and by natural enemies, and that the trait-specific outcome of individual interactions can range from negative to positive. Moreover, mildew affects resource selection by insects, thereby modifying the distribution of a specialist herbivore at two spatial scales (within and among trees). Finally, a long-term survey suggests that species-specific responses to mildew scale up to generate landscape-level variation in the insect community structure. Overall, our results show that frequently overlooked cross-kingdom interactions may play a major role in structuring terrestrial plant-based communities. Keywords Erysiphe alphitoides, indirect defence, indirect interactions, invasive species, Microsphaera alphitoides, multi-trophic interactions, plant–fungus–insect interactions, trait-mediated interactions, tripartite interactions Ecology Letters (2012) 15: 177–185 INTRODUCTION Phytophagous insects and plant pathogens are among the most speciose groups worldwide (Strong et al. 1984; Agrios 2005), and several studies suggest that they frequently interact within local communities (Hatcher 1995; Johnson et al. 2003; Rosta?s et al. 2003; Simon Hilker 2003; Stout et al. 2006). Indeed, in one of the earliest articles demonstrating pathogen–arthropod interactions, Karban et al. (1987) asked ecologists to switch focus from interactions among closely relate