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J Insect Physiol

Title:		Identification of sex pheromone components in Trissolcus brochymenae females
Author(s):		Salerno G; Iacovone A; Carlin S; Frati F; Conti E; Anfora G;
Address:		"Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Universita di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy"
Journal Title:		J Insect Physiol
Year:		2012
Volume:		20121012
Issue:		12
Page Number:		1635 - 1642
DOI:		10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.10.003
ISSN/ISBN:		1879-1611 (Electronic) 0022-1910 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Long- and short-range sex pheromones appear to play a crucial role in the mate finding and courtship behaviour of most parasitic Hymenoptera. Yet these parasitoids have been rarely investigated and only a few pheromones have been identified. Recent studies have shown that sexual communication of Trissolcus brochymenae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), a quasi-gregarious egg parasitoid of the harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), starts before contact between males and females when chemical compounds produced by virgin females trigger the courtship behaviour of males. In the present study, the pheromone components involved in the short-range recognition of T. brochymenae females by males were investigated using electrophysiological and behavioural methods. Female body extracts were analyzed through EAG and GC-EAD and the active compounds were identified through GC-MS. The behavioural responses of virgin males to the GC-EAD active compounds were subsequently evaluated in closed arena bioassays. Two active compounds in EAG and behavioural tests, tetradecyl acetate and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-yl acetate, were identified as sex pheromone components. Both compounds triggered intense male antennation and mount when applied to solvent-washed female cadavers. Dose-response tests showed different curves for the two compounds. This is the first study on the identification of sexual pheromones in Platygastridae"
Keywords:		"Animals Arthropod Antennae/*physiology Chromatography, Gas Female Male Sex Attractants/*chemistry *Sexual Behavior, Animal Wasps/chemistry/*physiology;"
Notes:		"MedlineSalerno, Gianandrea Iacovone, Alessia Carlin, Silvia Frati, Francesca Conti, Eric Anfora, Gianfranco eng England 2012/10/16 J Insect Physiol. 2012 Dec; 58(12):1635-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.10.003. Epub 2012 Oct 12"