Volatile Compounds Release by the Hair Pencils in Male Prophantis smaragdina (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae)

Lavogez, O.,Pinier, C.,Nibouche, S.,Frérot, B. 2017.Volatile Compounds Release by the Hair Pencils in Male Prophantis smaragdina (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae).Journal of Insect Science, (2017) 17(6): 121; 1–5.doi: 10.1093/jisesa/iex094

Abstract

Courtship behavior in several pyralid species is associated with the exposure to male hair pencils (HPs) or special scalesthat released volatile compounds. HP chemicals induce conspecific female and/or male behaviors and are thereforequalified as male pheromones. Preliminary observation on the coffee berry moth (CBM), Prophantis smaragdinaButler (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) mating behavior showed that the male displays abdominal HPslocated on the last abdominal segment. The aim of the study was to identify the male volatile compounds and assessthe results by electroantennography (EAG) on male and female antennae. Gas chromatography coupled to massspectrometry analysis of male HP emissions showed five aromatic compounds identified as phenylacetaldehyde,phenylethyl alcohol, creosol, perillyl alcohol, and methyl anthranilate. EAG results showed that creosol elicited asignificantly higher response than the control (hexane) on both male and female antennas. On female antennas,response to methyl anthranilate and phenylacetaldehyde was also significantly higher than the response to thecontrol. Those results suggest that the creosol could play a behavioral role on conspecific male and female CBMduring courtship behavior and mating choice. Methyl anthranilate and phenylacetaldehyde could also play a role onfemale behavior. Perillyl alcohol is for the first time identified as an insect product.

Publiée : 30/01/2018