| Title: | "Chemical communication in termites: syn-4,6-dimethylundecan-1-ol as trail-following pheromone, syn-4,6-dimethylundecanal and (5E)-2,6,10-trimethylundeca-5,9-dienal as the respective male and female sex pheromones in Hodotermopsis sjoestedti (Isoptera, Archotermopsidae)" |
| Author(s): | Lacey MJ; Semon E; Krasulova J; Sillam-Dusses D; Robert A; Cornette R; Hoskovec M; Zacek P; Valterova I; Bordereau C; |
| Address: | "CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, G.P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.07.018 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1611 (Electronic) 0022-1910 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The trail-following pheromone and sex pheromones were investigated in the Indomalayan termite Hodotermopsis sjoestedti belonging to the new family Archotermopsidae. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after solid phase microextraction (SPME) of the sternal gland secretion of pseudergates and trail-following bioassays demonstrated that the trail-following pheromone of H. sjoestedti was syn-4,6-dimethylundecan-1-ol, a new chemical structure for termite pheromones. GC-MS after SPME of the sternal gland secretion of alates also allowed the identification of sex-specific compounds. In female alates, the major sex-specific compound was identified as (5E)-2,6,10-trimethylundeca-5,9-dienal, a compound previously identified as the female sex pheromone of the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis. In male alates, the major sex-specific compound was identified as syn-4,6-dimethylundecanal, a homolog of syn-4,6-dimethyldodecanal, which has previously been confirmed as the male sex pheromone of Z. nevadensis. The presence of sex-specific compounds in alates of H. sjoestedti strongly suggests for this termite the presence of sex-specific pairing pheromones which were only known until now in Z. nevadensis. Our results showed therefore a close chemical relationship between the pheromones of the taxa Hodotermopsis and Zootermopsis and, in contrast, a clear difference with the taxa Stolotermes and Porotermes, which is in total agreement with the recent creation of the families Archotermopsidae and Stolotermitidae as a substitute for the former family Termopsidae" |
| Keywords: | "Aldehydes/isolation & purification *Animal Communication Animals Fatty Alcohols/isolation & purification Female Isoptera/*chemistry Male Sex Attractants/chemistry/*isolation & purification *Sexual Behavior, Animal;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineLacey, Michael J Semon, Etienne Krasulova, Jana Sillam-Dusses, David Robert, Alain Cornette, Richard Hoskovec, Michal Zacek, Petr Valterova, Irena Bordereau, Christian eng England 2011/08/16 J Insect Physiol. 2011 Dec; 57(12):1585-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.07.018. Epub 2011 Aug 3" |
