scholarly journals A moth odorant receptor highly expressed in the ovipositor is involved in detecting host-plant volatiles

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui-Ting Li ◽  
Ling-Qiao Huang ◽  
Jun-Feng Dong ◽  
Chen-Zhu Wang

Antennae are often considered to be the nostrils of insects. Here, we sequenced the transcriptome of the pheromone gland-ovipositor complex of Helicoverpa assulta and discovered that an odorant receptor (OR) gene, HassOR31, had much higher expression in the ovipositor than in antennae or other tissues. To determine whether the ovipositor was involved in odorant detection, we co-expressed HassOR31 and its co-receptor, HassORco, in a Xenopus oocyte model system, and demonstrated that the OR was responsive to 12 plant odorants, especially Z-3-hexenyl butyrate. These odorants elicited electrophysiological responses of some sensilla in the ovipositor, and HassOR31 and HassORco were co-expressed within ovipositor sensilla. Two oviposition preference experiments showed that female moths lacking antennae still preferentially selected oviposition sites containing plant volatiles. We suggest that the expression of HassOR31 in the ovipositor of H. assulta helps females to determine precise egg-laying sites in host plants.

2008 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suk-Ling Wee ◽  
Ashraf M El-Sayed ◽  
Andrew R Gibb ◽  
Vanessa Mitchell ◽  
David M Suckling

1993 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Budenberg ◽  
Isaiah O. Ndiege ◽  
Florence W. Karago ◽  
Bill S. Hansson

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1049-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan T Derstine ◽  
Linnea Meier ◽  
Isaiah Canlas ◽  
Kelly Murman ◽  
Stefani Cannon ◽  
...  

Abstract Host plant volatiles play a key role in mediating plant–herbivore interactions. How an array of host plant volatiles guides host preference and attraction in the invasive polyphagous Lycorma delicatula (White), the spotted lanternfly (SLF), is largely unknown. A pernicious phloem feeder, SLF feeds on over 70 species of plants, some with high economic impact. To aid the development of detection and monitoring tools for SLF, we used a two-choice olfactometer to compare 14 host plant species for attraction, first to a blank control, and then to their preferred host Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Sapindales: Simaroubaceae), tree-of-heaven. SLF were significantly attracted to seven host plants compared to a blank control, but no host plant was more attractive than tree-of-heaven. We then used electroantennographic detection (EAD) to screen select host plants for EAD active compounds, hypothesizing that EAD-active plant volatiles act as kairomones and mediate SLF attraction to host plants. Out of 43 unique antennal responses, 18 compounds were identified and tested individually for attraction in a two-choice olfactometer against a blank control and then against methyl salicylate, the current best attractant. Eleven compounds were significantly attractive, and one, sulcatone, was more attractive than methyl salicylate. Blends of kairomones were then tested for attraction, revealing five blends that were significantly more attractive than methyl salicylate, and could be developed into lures for field testing. The presence of these kairomones in volatile profiles of 17 plant species is described. These findings support the hypothesis that the identified volatiles act as kairomones and function in attraction to host plants.


Author(s):  
J. Jugovic ◽  
A. Kržič

We studied the behavior and oviposition preferences in Aporia crataegi. The study was conducted in a network of dry karst meadows with hedgerows consisted mainly of host plants (Crataegus monogyna; Prunus spinosa, Prunus mahaleb, Rosa sp.) between them. We recorded 15 different behaviours that we divided into six categories: (1) behaviours connected to flight (9 different behaviors), resting (2 behaviors); and (3) feeding, (4) courtship, (5) copula and (6) oviposition with one behaviour each. Males proved to spend most of their time on wings patrolling, while females were more sedentary, but still actively flying and searching for nectar sources and oviposition sites. Differences in behaviour between the sexes were less prominent during the morning but increased during the midday and afternoon, as the males became more active but females were resting and feeding more, probably after searching for host plants and egg-laying earlier in the day. Most commonly, C. monogyna was chosen for oviposition by females, but we found a single oviposition site on P. mahaleb as well. Females lay their eggs in clusters of an average size (AVG±SD/SE) of 34.4±12.8/2.05 eggs, and from a single to up to seven oviposition sites were recorded per host plant. Since the number of eggs in each recorded plant with four or more oviposition sites exceeded an upper limit of eggs laid by a single female reported in literature, females either can lay more eggs or more than one female chose the same host plant. Occupied host plants had similar characteristics as the ones occupied with larvae; females preferably choose smaller shrubs, exposed to the sun with a high percentage (>50%) of a leaf litter coverage underneath them.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1233-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li‐Hui Chen ◽  
Ke Tian ◽  
Gui‐Rong Wang ◽  
Xiang‐Li Xu ◽  
Ke‐Hang He ◽  
...  

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