« Previous Abstract"Accumulation of phenylpropanoid and sesquiterpenoid volatiles in male rectal pheromonal glands of the guava fruit fly, Bactrocera correcta"    Next Abstract"Identification of the sex pheromone of Idolus picipennis (Bach, 1852) revealed the presence of a cryptic sibling species" »

J Chem Ecol

Title:		"First sex pheromone of the order strepsiptera: (3R,5R,9R)-3,5,9-trimethyldodecanal in Stylops melittae KIRBY, 1802"
Author(s):		Tolasch T; Kehl S; Dotterl S;
Address:		"Universitat Hohenheim, Institut fur Zoologie, Tierokologie 220c, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany. tolasch@uni-hohenheim.de"
Journal Title:		J Chem Ecol
Year:		2012
Volume:		20121208
Issue:		12
Page Number:		1493 - 1503
DOI:		10.1007/s10886-012-0215-6
ISSN/ISBN:		1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The twisted-wing parasites (Strepsiptera) are an unusual and small order of insects with about 600 known species. As obligate endoparasitoids, they develop and spend most of their lives living in other insects. Adults show an extreme sexual dimorphism: The free-living males have large eyes, branched antennae, reduced forewings, and well developed hind wings, while the neotenic females of most species lack all external characters that normally define an insect, remain endoparasitic, and only extrude the cephalothorax from the host. Due to the males' short life span of only a few hours, there must be an efficient means of mate finding. This is believed to be mediated by chemical cues released by virgin females. Here, we report the first identification and synthesis of a female-produced strepsipteran sex pheromone, (3R,5R,9R)-3,5,9-trimethyldodecanal, from Stylops melittae, a species parasitizing andrenid bees. We found this highly EAD-active compound to be present in cephalothoraxes of and released from unmated females, and synthetic samples proved to be extremely attractive when offered in the field during the swarming period of the males. The structural features of this new natural compound may further support the re-establishment of the Strepsiptera as the closest living relatives of the Coleoptera"
Keywords:		"Aldehydes/*analysis/chemical synthesis/pharmacology Animals Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Insecta/chemistry/*physiology Male Sex Attractants/*chemistry Sexual Behavior, Animal/drug effects/physiology;"
Notes:		"MedlineTolasch, Till Kehl, Siegfried Dotterl, Stefan eng 2012/12/12 J Chem Ecol. 2012 Dec; 38(12):1493-503. doi: 10.1007/s10886-012-0215-6. Epub 2012 Dec 8"