Title: | 1-Tridecene--male-produced sex pheromone of the tenebrionid beetle Parastizopus transgariepinus |
Author(s): | Geiselhardt S; Ockenfels P; Peschke K; |
Address: | "Institut fur Biologie I, Universitat Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. sven.geiselhardt@fu-berlin.de" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00114-007-0312-5 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0028-1042 (Print) 0028-1042 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Males of the genus Parastizopus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) exhibit a special pheromone-emitting behaviour. They do a headstand, expose the aedeagus and remain in this posture for a few seconds. The pheromone emitted by P. transgariepinus was collected by solid-phase micro-extraction (100 microm polydimethylsiloxane fibre) and identified as 1-tridecene by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Presumably, this compound originates from the aedeagal gland, a special feature in Parastizopus, as 1-tridecene is the main compound in the gland reservoirs (23.6+/-3.8%), accompanied by various less volatile fatty acid esters (25.2+/-2.0%) and hydrocarbons (51.2+/-5.7%). 1-Tridecene is also part of the pygidial defensive secretion of both sexes, together with other 1-alkenes, monoterpene hydrocarbons and 1,4-benzoquinones, but as none of these other compounds was detected during calling, the pygidial gland could be ruled out as pheromone source. Extracts of the aedeagal gland reservoirs and the pygidial defensive secretion contained comparable amounts of 1-tridecene, 1.24+/-0.41 and 1.88+/-0.54 microg/male, respectively. Chemo-orientation experiments using a servosphere showed that 1 microg of 1-tridecene was attractive to females but not to males" |
Keywords: | "Alkenes/isolation & purification/*metabolism Animals Coleoptera/*physiology Endocrine Glands/*metabolism Female Locomotion/*physiology Male Pheromones/*physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal Tribolium/physiology;" |
Notes: | "MedlineGeiselhardt, Sven Ockenfels, Peter Peschke, Klaus eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2007/09/28 Naturwissenschaften. 2008 Mar; 95(3):247-51. doi: 10.1007/s00114-007-0312-5. Epub 2007 Sep 26" |