Preliminary evidence for a female sex pheromone in porina (Wiseana copularis)

Porina larvae (Wiseana spp.) are a pest of pasture in New Zealand. Preliminary observations of adult W. copularis in a laboratory wind tunnel revealed that female moths fan their wings during dusk just prior to copulation. Females stopped wing-fanning upon arrival of a male moth. Mating lasted two to three minutes and no multiple mating was observed. Gas chromatography analysis of the air surrounding wingfanning females showed the presence of four volatile compounds. Gas chromatography/electro-antennogram (GC-EAD) studies indicated that male antennae were strongly responsive to one of these compounds. These findings suggest that female moths release a sex pheromone to attract male moths prior to copulation.

Download Full-text

FEMALE SEX PHEROMONE IN KORSCHELTELLUS GRACILIS (GROTE) (LEPIDOPTERA: HEPIALIDAE)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent12631-1 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 126 (1) ◽

pp. 31-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

L.P.S. Kuenen ◽

D.L. Wagner ◽

W.E. Wallner ◽

R.T. Cardé

Keyword(s):

Sex Pheromone ◽

Wind Tunnel ◽

Light Intensity ◽

Mating System ◽

Female Sex Pheromone ◽

Male Response ◽

Ancestral Form ◽

Pheromone Release ◽

Wing Fanning ◽

Unique Site

AbstractIn laboratory wind tunnel studies, quiescent Korscheltellus gracilis (Grote) females initiated wing fanning as light intensity was reduced to 25–11 lx at the end of a 16-h, 450-lx photophase. Males downwind of a wing-fanning female initiated wing fanning, rapid walking, or both, and upwind flight toward the female typically ensued shortly thereafter. Wing-fanning females whose abdomens had been removed, and excised hind wings of females evoked the same male responses, but females whose hind wings had been removed evoked no male response. The sex pheromone of K. gracilis evidently is released from the female’s hind wings, a so far unique site of pheromone release in female Lepidoptera. The importance of this finding to understanding the mating system of hepialids and the ancestral form of pheromone release among the Lepidoptera is considered.

Download Full-text

Diversity of Root Bacteria from Peanut Cropping Systems

Peanut Science ◽

10.3146/pnut.31.2.0005 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 86-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D. T. Gooden ◽

H. D. Skipper ◽

J. H. Kim ◽

K. Xiong

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Biological Control ◽

Gas Chromatography ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Critical Research ◽

Chromatography Analysis ◽

Rotation System ◽

Gas Chromatography Analysis ◽

Peanut Production

Abstract Rhizobacteria play an important role in sustainable agriculture via plant growth and biological control of pests in a number of ecosystems. Understanding the interactions of crop rotation and rhizobacteria on peanut production is a critical research need. Development of a database on the rhizobacteria obtained from continuous and rotational fields of peanut was initiated in 1997 and terminated in 2000. Peanut was planted in monoculture for 4 yr. In rotational plots, peanut, cotton, corn, and peanut were planted in sequence. Rhizobacteria were isolated from the roots of crop plants grown in a Norfolk soil near Florence, SC. These isolates were identified by composition of fatty acids from gas chromatography analysis (GC/FAME). Arthrobacter and Bacillus were the major genera from non-rhizosphere soils. At initiation of this study in July 1997, the plots selected for continuous peanut had more diversity in rhizobacteria than those plots selected for rotation. In July 2000, rhizobacteria diversity was greater from peanut roots in the rotation cropping system than continuous peanut. Even though rhizobacteria diversity was greater in the rotation system, higher peanut yields were recorded in the continuous peanut system in 2000. Burkholderia spp. were always isolated from the peanut and other crop rhizospheres at each sampling date.

Download Full-text