Variation in the co-occurrence of pathogen and herbivores between ontogenetic stages of Miconia albicans

Adult plants are more vulnerable to nematode galls, while juvenile stages are more susceptible to chewing insect herbivores and fungal pathogen. Plants are characterized for having a great temporal variation in different traits along the stages of their development, affecting indirectly the susceptibility to herbivore and pathogen damage. We evaluated the effects of plant ontogeny on the damage of chewing insect herbivores, nematode galls and parasitic fungi in the shrub Miconia albicans (Sw.) Triana (Melastomataceae) in Brazilian Cerrado. Herbivore and pathogen damage were different between ontogenic stages. Adult plants were more vulnerable to leaf damage by nematode galls, while juvenile stages were more susceptible to chewing insect herbivores and fungal pathogen. Chlorophyll content was significantly higher in adults than in juvenile stages. However, in the juvenile stages, the chlorophyll content was correlated with the damage index per plant. Our results highlight the complexity of plant–herbivore–pathogen interactions throughout plant ontogeny due to the complexity of chemical/physiological mechanisms involved that can affect this interaction.