Description

Examines the role of microbial mediation on plant-herbivore interactions. Divided into five parts, it begins with a net effects perspective on insect performance that provides an integrated framework for understanding microbial mediation. The second section examines many of the diverse interactions of nitrogen fixers, ectomycorrhizal fungi or fungal endophytes with various above and below-ground herbivores. In the third section, articles discuss how plant pathogens alter plant resource suitability to insect herbivores and the implications of plant pathogens that are vectored by insect herbivores and are sometimes pathogenic to the insect. The fourth part emphasizes microbial effects on herbivore utilization, examining the diversity of ways in which insect mutualists modify the capacity of the herbivore to find and utilize the plant. The fifth section discusses interactions between plant chemicals and insect pathogens in terms of their effects on the herbivore. Closes with a brief summary and points out some directions for future research.