| Title: | Female volatiles as sex attractants in the invasive population of Vespa velutina nigrithorax |
| Author(s): | Cappa F; Cini A; Pepiciello I; Petrocelli I; Inghilesi AF; Anfora G; Dani FR; Bortolotti L; Wen P; Cervo R; |
| Address: | "Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Sesto F.no (Firenze), Italy. Electronic address: federico.cappa@unifi.it. Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Sesto F.no (Firenze), Italy; Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Sesto F.no (Firenze), Italy. Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), Universita di Trento, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele a/A, Trento, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele a/A, Trento, Italy. CREA - Centro di ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, Unita di ricerca di apicoltura e bachicoltura (API), Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy. Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Qinsong Road 21, Panlong, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103952 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1611 (Electronic) 0022-1910 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Due to its huge invasion potential and specialization in honeybee predation, the invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax represents a high-concern species under both an ecological and economical perspective. In light of the development of specific odorant attractants to be used in sustainable control strategies, we carried out both behavioural assays and chemical analyses to investigate the possibility that, in the invasive population of V. velutina nigrithorax, reproductive females emit volatile pheromones to attract males, as demonstrated in a Chinese non-invasive population. We focused on the secretions produced by sternal and venom glands; because of the volatility and complexity of their composition, both of them could potentially allow an attraction and a species-specific response, decreasing therefore non-target species by-catches. Results of chemical analyses and behavioural assays showed that venom volatiles, although population-specific, are unlikely candidates as male attractants since they do not differ in composition or in quantity between reproductive females and workers and do not attract males. Conversely, sternal gland secretion differs between female castes for the presence of some ketoacids exclusive of gynes already reported as sex pheromones for the non-invasive subspecies V. velutina auraria. Despite such a difference, males are attracted by the sternal gland secretion of both workers and gynes. These results provide a first step to understand the reproductive biology of V. velutina nigrithorax in its invasive range and to develop effective and sustainable management strategies for the species" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Exocrine Glands/chemistry Female Introduced Species Male Sex Attractants/*chemistry/physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology Wasp Venoms/chemistry Wasps/*chemistry/*physiology Asian hornet Invasive species Pest management Sex pheromone Venom;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineCappa, Federico Cini, A Pepiciello, I Petrocelli, I Inghilesi, A F Anfora, G Dani, F R Bortolotti, L Wen, P Cervo, R eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2019/10/01 J Insect Physiol. 2019 Nov-Dec; 119:103952. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103952. Epub 2019 Sep 27" |
