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Proc Biol Sci

Title:		"Sex pheromone biosynthesis, storage and release in a female moth: making a little go a long way"
Author(s):		Foster SP; Anderson KG;
Address:		"Entomology Department, North Dakota State University, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA"
Journal Title:		Proc Biol Sci
Year:		2020
Volume:		20201216
Issue:		1941
Page Number:		20202775 -
DOI:		10.1098/rspb.2020.2775
ISSN/ISBN:		1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Moth pheromone research has pioneered much of our understanding of long-distance chemical communication. Two important characteristics of this communication have, however, remained largely unaddressed: the release of small quantities of pheromone by most moth species, despite potential advantages of releasing greater amounts, and the intermittency of release in some species, limiting the time of mate attraction. We addressed the proximate mechanisms underlying these characteristics by manipulating biosynthesis, storage and release of pheromone in females of the noctuid moth Chloridea virescens. We found that (i) mass release is determined by pheromone mass on the gland surface; (ii) amounts synthesized are limited by pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide concentration, not precursor availability; (iii) some gland structural feature limits mass release rate; (iv) intermittent calling enables release at a mass rate greater than biosynthetic rate; and (v) at typical mass release rates, the periodicity of pheromone availability on the gland surface roughly matches the periodicity (intermittency) of calling. We conclude that mass release in C. virescens and possibly many other species is low because of constraints on biosynthesis, storage and gland structure. Further, it appears the behaviour of intermittent calling in C. virescens may have evolved as a co-adaptation with pheromone availability, allowing females to release pheromone intermittently at higher mass rates than the biosynthesis rate"
Keywords:		"Animals Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Male Moths/*physiology Pheromones/*biosynthesis Secondary Metabolism Sex Attractants Sexual Behavior, Animal Chloridea virescens calling behaviour chemical signalling lepidoptera pheromone periodicity ph;"
Notes:		"MedlineFoster, Stephen P Anderson, Karin G eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. England 2020/12/17 Proc Biol Sci. 2020 Dec 23; 287(1941):20202775. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2775. Epub 2020 Dec 16"