The application of sex attractant traps for studying the Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera) fauna of Albania

In Albania, the Zygaenidae family comprises a relatively rich fauna in the Balkans. They have been studied so far using specimens collected only by using entomological nets or by hand-picking. Two groups of sticky Delta traps baited with: 1) a synthetic sex pheromone compound of the Asian species Illiberis rotundata Jordan, 1907 and its opposite enantiomer, alone and in a mixture, and 2) known sex attractants and experimental lures of the genus Zygaena were used in the field in seven localities in southern Albania in 2017 for studying the Procridinae and Zygaeninae fauna, respectively. Four species belonging to the genera Zygaena, Adscita and Jordanita were captured and identified: Zygaena (Zygaena) filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758), Zygaena (Agrumenia) carniolica (Scopoli, 1763), Adscita (Tarmannita) mannii (Lederer, 1853) and Jordanita (Tremewania ) notata (Zeller, 1847). A. mannii and J. notata were newly recorded in the Counties of Korçë and Gjirokastër. Z. filipendulae was recorded for the first time in the Gjirokastër County and in the municipalities of Prrenjas (Elbasan County) and Finiq (Vlorë County), while Z. carniolica was newly recorded in Prrenjas municipality. Some other sex attractants did not work for either the target species or for other related ones, which we discuss in relation to species cross attraction and geographical variation.

Nonlinear Management of Topological Solitons in a Spin-Orbit-Coupled System

We consider possibilities to control dynamics of solitons of two types, maintained by the combination of cubic attraction and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in a two-component system, namely, semi-dipoles (SDs) and mixed modes (MMs), by making the relative strength of the cross-attraction, γ , a function of time periodically oscillating around the critical value, γ = 1 , which is an SD/MM stability boundary in the static system. The structure of SDs is represented by the combination of a fundamental soliton in one component and localized dipole mode in the other, while MMs combine fundamental and dipole terms in each component. Systematic numerical analysis reveals a finite bistability region for the SDs and MMs around γ = 1 , which does not exist in the absence of the periodic temporal modulation (“management”), as well as emergence of specific instability troughs and stability tongues for the solitons of both types, which may be explained as manifestations of resonances between the time-periodic modulation and intrinsic modes of the solitons. The system can be implemented in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), and emulated in nonlinear optical waveguides.

Deceptive signals and behaviors of a cleptoparasitic beetle show local adaptation to different host bee species

Chemosensory signals play a key role in species recognition and mate location in both invertebrate and vertebrate species. Closely related species often produce similar but distinct signals by varying the ratios or components in pheromone blends to avoid interference in their communication channels and minimize cross-attraction among congeners. However, exploitation of reproductive signals by predators and parasites also may provide strong selective pressure on signal phenotypes. For example, bolas spiders mimic the pheromones of several moth species to attract their prey, and parasitic blister beetle larvae, known as triungulins, cooperatively produce an olfactory signal that mimics the sex pheromone of their female host bees to attract male bees, as the first step in being transported by their hosts to their nests. In both cases, there is strong selection pressure on the host to discriminate real mates from aggressive mimics and, conversely, on the predator, parasite, or parasitoid to track and locally adapt to the evolving signals of its hosts. Here we show local adaptation of a beetle, Meloe franciscanus (Coleoptera: Meloidae), to the pheromone chemistry and mate location behavior of its hosts, two species of solitary bees in the genus Habropoda. We report that M. franciscanus’ deceptive signal is locally host-adapted in its chemical composition and ratio of components, with host bees from each allopatric population preferring the deceptive signals of their sympatric parasite population. Furthermore, in different locales, the triungulin aggregations have adapted their perching height to the height at which local male bees typically patrol for females.

Identification and field evaluation of the sex pheromone of a Brazilian population of Spodoptera cosmioides

The objective of this work was to identify the sex pheromone of Spodoptera cosmioides and to evaluate whether there is pheromone cross-attraction in Spodoptera sp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Spodoptera cosmioides gland extracts were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Wind tunnel and electrophysiology experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of gland compounds. In the field, different pheromone traps were tested: S. frugiperda commercial lure; (9Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:OAc) and (9Z,12E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (Z9,E12-14:OAc) trap; two females of S. cosmioides trap; and hexane control trap. Four acetates were identified in the S. cosmioides female gland extracts as Z9-14:OAc, Z9,E12-14:OAc, (11Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16:OAc) and hexadecyl acetate (16:OAc), but only the first two acetates induced electrophysiological responses from S. cosmioides male antennae. In wind tunnel experiments, S. cosmioides and S. frugiperda males responded more strongly to conspecific blends; however, there was some cross-attraction, as 47% males of S. frugiperda and 25% males of S. cosmioides responded to heterospecific blends. In field experiments, S. frugiperda and S. cosmioides showed the same response pattern as observed in the wind tunnel bioassays. In summary, the sex pheromone components of S. cosmioides are Z9-14:OAc and Z9,E12-14OAc; they are important for conferring species specificity, and there is pheromone-mediated cross attraction between S. frugiperda and S. cosmioides.

Field capture of Thyanta perditor with pheromone-baited traps

The objective of this work was to evaluate the field attractiveness of Thyanta perditor synthetic sex pheromone-baited traps, its attractivity to other stink bug species, and the response of T. perditor to a geometric isomer of the sex pheromone. Two-liter transparent plastic bottles traps were baited with rubber septa impregnated with the treatments: 1 mg of methyl-(2E,4Z,6Z)-decatrienoate [(2E,4Z,6Z)-10:COOMe], the male sex pheromone of T. perditor; 1 mg of (2E,4Z,6Z)-10:COOMe protected from sunlight in standard PVC plumbing pipe; 1 mg of its geometric isomer [(2E,4E,6Z)-10:COOMe]; and traps with rubber septa impregnated with hexane (control). The experiment was carried out in field during the soybean reproductive stages. Traps were monitored weekly, and the captures were compared to the population density estimated by the sampling cloth and visual inspection monitoring techniques. Traps baited with the sex pheromone, protected or not, were more effective in capturing T. perditor than traps baited with the isomer or the hexane. Thyanta perditor sex pheromone showed cross-attraction to other stink bug species, such as Euschistus heros, Edessa meditabunda, Piezodorus guildinii and Nezara viridula. Pheromone-baited traps can be used in population monitoring and to identify the relative composition of stink bug guilds.