| Title: | Ethyl 4-methyl heptanoate: a male-produced pheromone of Nicrophorus vespilloides |
| Author(s): | Haberer W; Schmitt T; Peschke K; Schreier P; Muller JK; |
| Address: | "Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. wolf.haberer@biologie.uni-freiburg.de" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-007-9406-y |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0098-0331 (Print) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Sexually mature male beetles of the genus Nicrophorus (Coleoptera: Silphidae) exhibit a conspicuous behavior, recognized as pheromone-releasing activity. Laboratory and field studies demonstrated that females are attracted to males that exhibit this behavior, both on or off reproductive resources. Here, we report the results of a study in which volatile chemicals released by calling Nicrophorus vespilloides were collected by solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed that ethyl 4-methyl heptanoate and (E)-geranylacetone are emitted by males that engage in the behavior. In the field, traps baited with racemic ethyl 4-methyl heptanoate caught roughly equal numbers of male and female N. vespilloides. Some male and female Nicrophorus vespillo and male Nicrophorus humator were also caught in traps baited with this compound. Traps baited with (E)-geranylacetone did not catch significant numbers of beetles" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Behavior, Animal/drug effects Coleoptera/drug effects/*physiology Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Heptanoates/*analysis/*pharmacology Male Pheromones/*analysis/*pharmacology Solid Phase Microextraction Terpenes/analysis/pharmacology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHaberer, Wolf Schmitt, Thomas Peschke, Klaus Schreier, Peter Muller, Josef K eng 2007/12/15 J Chem Ecol. 2008 Jan; 34(1):94-8. doi: 10.1007/s10886-007-9406-y. Epub 2007 Dec 13" |
