Metabolomic profiles of kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) leaves following Lepidopteran herbivory using Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS)

This dataset contains metabolomic fingerprint data from kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) leaves subjected to herbivory by three native Aotearoa New Zealand Lepidopteran species: Cleora scriptaria, Epalxiphora axenana, and Ctenopseustis obliquana. Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) was used to generate chemical profiles of leaves across four treatment conditions: caterpillar eaten, caterpillar present but not eaten, artifically hole-punched, and untreated control.Our study reveals the herbivory-driven metabolomic alterations in Macropiper excelsum leaves, highlighting species-specific responses and integrating mātauranga (Indigenous knowledge) with conventional science to study plant-insect interactions. Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore differences in leaf chemistry across species and treatement.Files included:REIMS_kawakawa_cleaned_data for multivariate analysis.xlsx – Cleaned REIMS feature matrix and burnhole averages used for multivariate analysisREIMS_kawakawa_variable_Stats.xlsx – Descriptive statistics and corrected p-values for pairwise group comparisonsREIMS_kawakawa_tentative_IDs_unconfirmed.xlsx – Tentative compound identifications from negative ion mode REIMS (Level 1 only, unconfirmed by MS/MS)Note: This dataset is under permanent embargo to protect mātauranga Māori and the status of kawakawa as a taonga species. Researchers may request access, and requests will be reviewed in line with tikanga and data sovereignty principles.