| Title: | The use of the sex pheromone as an evolutionary solution to food source selection in caterpillars |
| Author(s): | Poivet E; Rharrabe K; Monsempes C; Glaser N; Rochat D; Renou M; Marion-Poll F; Jacquin-Joly E; |
| Address: | "INRA, UMR 1272 INRA-UPMC Physiologie de l'Insecte: Signalisation et Communication, Route de Saint-Cyr, F-78026 Versailles Cedex, France" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2041-1723 (Electronic) 2041-1723 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Sex pheromones are released by adults of a species to elicit a sexual interaction with the other sex of the same species. Here we report an unexpected effect of a moth sex pheromone on the caterpillars of the same species. We demonstrate that larvae of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis are attracted by the moth sex pheromone and that this phenomenon is independent of sex determination. In addition, we show that the olfactory sensilla carried by the caterpillar antennae are sensitive to the pheromone and that the caterpillar sensilla express pheromone-binding proteins that are used by adult antennae to bind pheromone components. Finally, we demonstrate that the larvae are preferentially attracted to a food source when it contains the sex pheromone main component. A possible interpretation of these results is that the sex pheromone is used to promote food search in caterpillars, opening potential new routes for insect pest management" |
| Keywords: | Animals Arthropod Antennae/metabolism *Biological Evolution Female Food Preferences Insect Proteins/genetics/metabolism Male Sensilla/metabolism Sex Attractants/*metabolism Spodoptera/genetics/*physiology; |
| Notes: | "MedlinePoivet, Erwan Rharrabe, Kacem Monsempes, Christelle Glaser, Nicolas Rochat, Didier Renou, Michel Marion-Poll, Frederic Jacquin-Joly, Emmanuelle eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2012/09/06 Nat Commun. 2012; 3:1047. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2050" |
