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J Invertebr Pathol

Title:		"Effect of the entomopathogenic fungus, Entomophthora muscae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthoraceae), on sex pheromone and other cuticular hydrocarbons of the house fly, Musca domestica"
Author(s):		Zurek L; Wes Watson D; Krasnoff SB; Schal C;
Address:		"Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. lzurek@oznet.ksu.edu"
Journal Title:		J Invertebr Pathol
Year:		2002
Volume:		80
Issue:		3
Page Number:		171 - 176
DOI:		10.1016/s0022-2011(02)00109-x
ISSN/ISBN:		0022-2011 (Print) 0022-2011 (Linking)
Abstract:		"House fly (Musca domestica) males are highly attracted to dead female flies infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophthora muscae. Because males orient to the larger abdomen of infected flies, both visual and chemical cues may be responsible for the heightened attraction to infected flies. Our behavioral assays demonstrated that the attraction is sex-specific-males were attracted more to infected females than to infected males, regardless of cadaver size. We examined the effect of E. muscae on the main component of the house fly sex pheromone, (Z)-9-tricosene, and other cuticular hydrocarbons including n-tricosane, n-pentacosane, (Z)-9-heptacosene, and total hydrocarbons of young (7 days old) and old (18 days old) virgin females. Young E. muscae-infected female flies accumulated significantly less sex pheromone and other hydrocarbons on their cuticular surface than uninfected females, whereas the cuticular hydrocarbons of older flies were unaffected by fungus infection. These results suggest that chemical cues other than (Z)-9-tricosene, visual cues other than abdomen size, or a combination of both sets of cues might be responsible for attraction of house fly males to E. muscae-infected females"
Keywords:		Alkenes/metabolism Animals Copulation Entomophthora/*physiology Female Houseflies/metabolism/*microbiology Hydrocarbons/metabolism Male Zygomycosis/*metabolism;
Notes:		"MedlineZurek, Ludek Wes Watson, D Krasnoff, Stuart B Schal, Coby eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2002/10/18 J Invertebr Pathol. 2002 Jul; 80(3):171-6. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2011(02)00109-x"