| Title: | Male-specific (Z)-9-tricosene stimulates female mating behaviour in the spider Pholcus beijingensis |
| Author(s): | Xiao YH; Zhang JX; Li SQ; |
| Address: | "Chinese Academy of Sciences, , Beijing, People's Republic of China" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Chemical signals play an important role in spider sexual communication, yet the chemistry of spider sex pheromones remains poorly understood. Chemical identification of male-produced pheromone-mediating sexual behaviour in spiders has also, to our knowledge, not been reported before. This study aimed to examine whether chemically mediated strategies are used by males of the spider Pholcus beijingensis for increasing the probability of copulation. Based on data from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, electroantennography assay and a series of behavioural tests, we verified that (Z)-9-tricosene is a male-specific compound in the spider P. beijingensis. This compound acts as an aphrodisiac: it increases the likelihood that a female will mate. Mate-searching males release (Z)-9-tricosene to stimulate sexual behaviour of conspecific females. In the two-choice assay, however, sexually receptive females show no preference to the chambers containing (Z)-9-tricosene. This indicates that the male pheromone of P. beijingensis is not an attractant per se to the conspecific females. This is, to our knowledge, the first identification of a male-produced aphrodisiac pheromone in spiders" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Choice Behavior/drug effects Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Male Sex Attractants/chemistry/metabolism/*pharmacology Sexual Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Spiders/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineXiao, Yong-Hong Zhang, Jian-Xu Li, Shu-Qiang eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/05/14 Proc Biol Sci. 2010 Oct 7; 277(1696):3009-18. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0763. Epub 2010 May 12" |
