Title: | Electroantennographic and behavioral responses of adults of raspberry weevil Aegorhinus superciliosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to odors released from conspecific females |
Author(s): | Mutis A; Parra L; Manosalva L; Palma R; Candia O; Lizama M; Pardo F; Perich F; Quiroz A; |
Address: | "Doctorado y magister en Ciencias de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1938-2936 (Electronic) 0046-225X (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The raspberry weevil, Aegorhinus superciliosus (Guerin) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most important pest in blueberry and raspberry fields in the south of Chile. In this study, we investigated the electroantennographic and behavioral responses of A. superciliosus to semiochemicals released from conspecific individual adults, with particular attention to male attraction to females. Odors released from females significantly attracted males in a Y-tube olfactometer. Gas chromatographic and mass spectral analysis of female volatile extracts revealed the presence of limonene and alpha-pinene. Electroantennogram recordings from both sexes indicated that males of A. superciliosus possess olfactory sensitivity for the R isomer of limonene and alpha-pinene, whereas females only perceived R-limonene. Behavioral assays using synthetic compounds showed that only R-limonene elicited an attraction response from male weevils. Field experiments confirmed the laboratory results, showing that R-limonene was attractive to weevils. This is the first report of intraspecific chemical communication in this weevil. We discuss the origin of these compounds, their possible role in the sexual behavior of this species, and their potential use in a pest control strategy" |
Keywords: | "Animals Arthropod Antennae/*physiology Female Male Odorants Sex Attractants/*isolation & purification *Sexual Behavior, Animal Volatile Organic Compounds/chemistry Weevils/chemistry/*physiology;" |
Notes: | "MedlineMutis, Ana Parra, Leonardo Manosalva, Loreto Palma, Ruben Candia, Oscar Lizama, Marcelo Pardo, Fernando Perich, Fernando Quiroz, Andres eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/08/01 Environ Entomol. 2010 Aug; 39(4):1276-82. doi: 10.1603/EN10009" |