scholarly journals Plant odour and sex pheromone are integral elements of specific mate recognition in an insect herbivore

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Borrero-Echeverry ◽  
Marie Bengtsson ◽  
Peter Witzgall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Sexual Communication ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Pheromone Biosynthesis ◽  
Olfactory Communication ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Male Response ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats

SummarySpecific mate recognition strongly relies on the chemical senses in many animals, and especially in nocturnal insects. Two signal types lend to premating olfactory communication in terrestrial habitats: sex signals blend into an atmosphere of habitat odorants, where plant volatiles prevail. We show for the first time that males of the African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis perceive female sex pheromone and volatiles of its plant host cotton as a unit, rather than as independent messages. In clean air, S. littoralis males are attracted to flawed pheromone signals, such as single synthetic pheromone components or even the pheromone of a sibling species, Oriental leafworm S. litura. Presence of host plant volatiles, however, strongly reduces the male response to deficient or heterospecific pheromone signals. That plant cues enhance discrimination of sex pheromone quality confirms the idea that specific mate recognition in noctuid moths has evolved in concert with host plant adaptation. A participation of host plant odour in sexual communication suggests that mate recognition is under natural and sexual selection. Moreover, shifts in either female host preference or sex pheromone biosynthesis give rise to new communication channels that have the potential to initiate or contribute to reproductive isolation.

scholarly journals EAG Responses of Adult Lobesia botrana Males and Females Collected from Vitis vinifera and Daphne Gnidium to Larval Host-Plant Volatiles and Sex Pheromone

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pérez-Aparicio ◽  
Torres-Vila ◽  
Gemeno
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Vitis Vinifera ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Methyl Salicylate ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Male Response ◽  
Daphne Gnidium ◽  
Plant Volatile ◽  
Larval Host

We analysed electroantennogram (EAG) responses of male and female adults of the European grapevine moth Lobesiabotrana (Denis et Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) collected as larvae from grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and flax-leaved daphne (Daphne gnidium L.). The host-plant odorants tested were either V. vinifera-specific [1-octen-3-ol, (E)-β-farnesene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene], D. gnidium-specific (2-ethyl-hexan-1-ol, benzothiazole, linalool-oxide, ethyl benzanoate), or were shared by both host-plants (linalool, methyl salicylate). Sex pheromone compounds were also tested. The male response to the major pheromone component (E7,Z9-12:Ac) was higher than to any other stimuli, whereas the response to the minor pheromone components (E7,Z9-12:OH and Z9-12:Ac) was not different from the response to the plant odorants. The female response to pheromone was lower or not different from that to plant odorants. Methyl salicylate elicited a higher response in females and (E)-β-farnesene elicited a higher response than several other plant odorants in both sexes. Non-significant interactions between host-plant odorant and sex indicated an absence of sex specialization for host-plant volatile detection. The lack of a significant interaction between plant volatiles and larval host-plants suggested that there was no specialization for plant-volatile detection between V. vinifera and D. gnidium individuals.

scholarly journals Concurrent modulation of neuronal and behavioural olfactory responses to sex and host plant cues in a male moth

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1799) ◽  
pp. 20141884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie H. Kromann ◽  
Ahmed M. Saveer ◽  
Muhammad Binyameen ◽  
Marie Bengtsson ◽  
Göran Birgersson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Physiological Condition ◽  
Response Modulation ◽  
Male Attraction ◽  
Olfactory Responses ◽  
Animal Physiology ◽  
Adult Food

Mating has profound effects on animal physiology and behaviour, not only in females but also in males, which we show here for olfactory responses. In cotton leafworm moths, Spodoptera littoralis , odour-mediated attraction to sex pheromone and plant volatiles are modulated after mating, producing a behavioural response that matches the physiological condition of the male insect. Unmated males are attracted by upwind flight to sex pheromone released by calling females, as well as to volatiles of lilac flowers and green leaves of the host plant cotton, signalling adult food and mating sites, respectively. Mating temporarily abolishes male attraction to females and host plant odour, but does not diminish attraction to flowers. This behavioural modulation is correlated with a response modulation in the olfactory system, as shown by electro-physiological recordings from antennae and by functional imaging of the antennal lobe, using natural odours and synthetic compounds. An effect of mating on the olfactory responses to pheromone and cotton plant volatiles but not to lilac flowers indicates the presence of functionally independent neural circuits within the olfactory system. Our results indicate that these circuits interconnect and weigh perception of social and habitat odour signals to generate appropriate behavioural responses according to mating state.

Female-induced increase of host-plant volatiles enhance specific attraction of aphid male Dysaphis plantaginea (Homoptera: Aphididae) to the sex pheromone

2009 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.W.H.M. van Tol ◽  
H.H.M. Helsen ◽  
F.C. Griepink ◽  
W.J. de Kogel
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Aphid Species ◽  
Aphid Infestation ◽  
Induced Plant Volatiles ◽  
Pheromone Components ◽  
Dysaphis Plantaginea ◽  
Herbivore Induced Plant Volatiles ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractAll aphid species studied so far share the same sex pheromone components, nepetalactol and nepetalactone. Variation by different enantiomers and blends of the two components released by different aphid species are limited and can only partially explain species-specific attraction of males to females. While some host-plant odours are known to enhance specific attraction of aphid species, herbivore-induced plant volatiles that synergise attractiveness to the sex pheromone are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that for the host-alternating rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini)) specificity of attraction of males to females is triggered by female-induced tree odours in combination with a 1:8 ratio of (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactone and (1R,4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol. Female aphid infestation induces increased release of four esters (hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate, (Z)-3-hexenyl 3-methylbutyrate and hexyl 2-methylbutyrate) from apple leaves. Two different combinations of three esters applied in a 1:1:1 ratio increase the number of male D. plantaginea and decrease the number of other aphid species caught in water traps in the presence of the pheromone components. The ester blend alone was not attractive. Combination of the pheromone blend with each single ester was not increasing attraction of male D. plantaginea. The demonstration that sexual aphid species use herbivore-induced plant volatiles as a species-specific attractant for mate finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of insect species using or manipulating chemical cues of host plants for orientation.

scholarly journals Modification of Behavioral Response inCopitarsia decolora(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Due to Pre-Exposure to Sex Pheromone and Host Plant Volatiles

2018 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma Robledo ◽  
René Arzuffi ◽  
Humberto Reyes-Prado
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Behavioral Response ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Host Plant Volatiles ◽  
Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Host Plant Volatiles Synergize Response to Sex Pheromone in Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella

2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihua Yang ◽  
Marie Bengtsson ◽  
Peter Witzgall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Cydia Pomonella ◽  
Codling Moth ◽  
Host Plant Volatiles

Attraction of the Gypsy Moth to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) of Damaged Dahurian Larch

2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 437-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Sanna Valimaki ◽  
Juan Shi ◽  
Shixiang Zong ◽  
Youqing Luo
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Gypsy Moth ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Flight Period ◽  
Dahurian Larch ◽  
Gypsy Moths ◽  
Volatile Organic

Olfactory responses of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), a major defoliator of deciduous trees, were examined in Inner Mongolia, China. We studied whether the gypsy moth adults are attracted by the major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of damaged Larix gmelinii (Dahurian larch) foliage and compared the attractiveness of the plant volatiles with that of the synthetic sex pheromone. Our results indicated that the VOCs of the Dahurian larch were effective in attracting gypsy moth males especially during the peak flight period. The VOCs also attracted moths significantly better than the sex pheromone of the moth. Our study is the first trial to show the responses of adult gypsy moths to volatile compounds emitted from a host plant. Electroantennogram responses of L. gmelinii volatiles on gypsy moths supported our field observations. A synergistic effect between host plant volatiles and sex pheromone was also obvious, and bothcan be jointly applied as a new attractant method or population management strategy of the gypsy moth.

scholarly journals Non-Host Plant Volatiles Disrupt Sex Pheromone Communication in a Specialist Herbivore

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumin Wang ◽  
Jianyu Deng ◽  
Coby Schal ◽  
Yonggen Lou ◽  
Guoxin Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Host Plant Volatiles ◽  
Pheromone Communication ◽  
Specialist Herbivore

scholarly journals Exploring the Terminal Pathway of Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis and Metabolism in the Silkworm

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Qing-Hai Wang ◽  
Xing Gao ◽  
Hong-Song Yu ◽  
Ze Zhang ◽  
Quan-You Yu
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Sex Pheromones ◽  
Sexual Communication ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Aldehyde Oxidase ◽  
Pheromone Biosynthesis ◽  
Pheromone Production ◽  
Spatiotemporal Expression ◽  
Sex Pheromone Gland ◽  
Pheromone Blend

Sex pheromones are vital to sexual communication and reproduction in insects. Although some key enzymes in pheromone production have been well studied, information on genes involved in the terminal pathway is limited. The domestic silkworm employs a pheromone blend containing (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienol (bombykol) and analogous (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal (bombykal); whereas, its wild ancestor B. mandarina uses only bombykol. The two closely related moths might be a good model for exploring the genes involved in aldehyde pheromone synthesis and metabolism. By deep sequencing and analyzing the sex pheromone gland (PG) transcriptomes; we identified 116 candidate genes that may be related to pheromone biosynthesis, metabolism, and chemoreception. Spatiotemporal expression profiles and differentially expressed analysis revealed that four alcohol oxidases (BmorAO1; 2; 3; and 4); one aldehyde reductase (BmorAR1); and one aldehyde oxidase (BmorAOX5) might be involved in the terminal pathway. Phylogenetic analysis showed that, except for BmorAO3 and MsexAO3, AOs did not show a conversed orthologous relationship among moths; whereas, ARs and AOXs were phylogenetically conserved. This study provides crucial candidates for further functional elucidation, and which may be utilized as potential targets to disrupt sexual communication in other moth pests.

scholarly journals Host-Plant Volatiles Enhance the Attraction of Cnaphalocrocis medicals (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Sex Pheromone

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Liu ◽  
Hai-Tao Du ◽  
Yao Li ◽  
Jun Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Methyl Salicylate ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cnaphalocrocis Medinalis ◽  
Host Plant Volatiles ◽  
Insect Sex Pheromones ◽  
Lepidoptera Pyralidae

Abstract Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a notorious pest of rice, Oryza sativa L.(Poaceae). Sex pheromone and host-plant volatiles can trap C. medinalis separately. To improve the trap efficiency of sex pheromone, we first tested the synergistic effect of 8 host-plant volatiles, including 2-Phenylethanol, 1-Hexanol, 1-Heptanol, (Z)-3-Hexenal, (E)-2-Hexenal, Octanal, Valeraldehyde, and Methyl Salicylate on the attraction of C. medinalis to the female-produced sex pheromone in electroantennography. The addition of (E)-2-Hexenal, Methyl Salicylate, Valeraldehyde, and (Z)-3-Hexenal increased electroantennogram response of C. medinalis to sex pheromone. Further testing of the mixtures of these four compounds and sex pheromone in wind tunnel experiments indicated that additive (E)-2-Hexenal or Methyl Salicylate stimulated the landing behaviors of both male and female C. medinalis compared with sex pheromone alone. Field evaluations showed that mixtures of sex pheromone and (E)-2-Hexenal or Methyl Salicylate resulted in significantly higher catches to male moths than sex pheromone alone. Using 1:1 and 1:10 combinations of the sex pheromone and (E)-2-Hexenal, showed a synergistic effect of 95% and 110%, respectively. Furthermore, 1:1 and 1:10 mixtures of the sex pheromone and Methyl Salicylate exhibited a synergistic effect of 69% and 146%, respectively. These results may provide the basis for developing efficient pest management strategies against C. medinalis using host-plant volatiles and insect sex pheromones.

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