Akutse, Komivi S.Agbessenou, AyaoviYusuf, Abdullahi AhmedKhamis, Fathiya Mbarak2026-03-252026-03-13Akutse, K.S., Agbessenou, A., Yusuf, A.A. et al. Bodyguard Interactions: A Beneficial Endophyte Triggers Emission of Methyl Salicylate in Infested Tomato Plant Mediating Attraction of a Parasitoid Wasp. Journal of Chemical Ecology 52, 28: 1-12 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-026-01704-8.0098-0331 (print)1573-1561 (online)10.1007/s10886-026-01704-8http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109301DATA AVAILABILITY : The dataset generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon request.The endoparasitoid Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris is a potential candidate biocontrol agent of Phthorimaea absoluta. We previously reported that the endophyte Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4 triggers the systemic release of key phytohormones in tomato affecting the behavior and herbivory of P. absoluta. As D. gelechiidivoris uses odor cues to locate P. absoluta, we therefore investigated the chemical basis of interactions between D. gelechiidivoris, the tomato plant with and without endophyte and P. absoluta through bioassay-guided chemical analysis. Y-tube olfactometer bioassays showed that the parasitoid was significantly attracted to P. absoluta-infested tomato plants but did not show preference to colonized and colonized-infested plants. Coupled GC–MS analyses revealed both qualitative and quantitative differences in volatile emission between non-colonized, colonized, non-colonized infested and colonized-infested plants, where volatile emission rate increased with increasing infestation level. Methyl salicylate (MeSA) emission was significantly higher in colonized-infested than in colonized and non-colonized infested plants. Subsequent bioassays revealed attraction of the parasitoid to synthetic MeSA emitted at its natural release rate from endophytically-colonized infested plants. Our findings highlight the significant role played by MeSA, which mediates the attraction of D. gelechiidivoris thereby indirectly assisting tomato plants in combatting P. absoluta.en© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026. The original publication is available at : http://link.springer.comjournal/10886.Biological controlSemiochemicalsDolichogenidea gelechiidivorisHerbivore-induced plant volatilesPrimingPostprint Article