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Electrophysiological and behavioural evidence for a fourth sex pheromone component in the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum

Wu, W. ‐Q ; Hansson, B. S. and Löfstedt, Christer LU (1995) In Physiological Entomology 20(1). p.81-92
Abstract

Abstract. In addition to the pheromone components (Z)‐5‐decenyl, (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl and (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z5‐10:OAc, Z7‐12:OAc and Z9‐14:OAc), it has previously been shown that the sex pheromone gland of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae Schiff) contains 10:OAc, 12:OAc, Z5‐12:OAc, Z9‐12:OAc, 11–12:OAc, Z5‐14:OAc, Z7‐14:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc. To find out whether any of these additional compounds is involved in the sex pheromone communication in A. segetum, a comprehensive electro‐physiological and behavioural investigation was conducted. Single‐sensillum recordings on male antennae revealed three subtypes of sensilla among the previously so‐called Z5‐10:OAc sensilla. One subtype was identified having one... (More)

Abstract. In addition to the pheromone components (Z)‐5‐decenyl, (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl and (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z5‐10:OAc, Z7‐12:OAc and Z9‐14:OAc), it has previously been shown that the sex pheromone gland of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae Schiff) contains 10:OAc, 12:OAc, Z5‐12:OAc, Z9‐12:OAc, 11–12:OAc, Z5‐14:OAc, Z7‐14:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc. To find out whether any of these additional compounds is involved in the sex pheromone communication in A. segetum, a comprehensive electro‐physiological and behavioural investigation was conducted. Single‐sensillum recordings on male antennae revealed three subtypes of sensilla among the previously so‐called Z5‐10:OAc sensilla. One subtype was identified having one receptor neurone (A) that responded to Z5‐10:OAc with a large spike amplitude and another neurone (B) that responded to (Z)‐5‐decenol (Z5‐10:OH) with a small spike amplitude. In another subtype the B neurone responded to Z5‐12:OAc and sometimes also to 27‐12:OAc and 10:OAc, in addition to responding to Z5‐10:OH. In a third subtype the A neurone responded to all acetates identified from the female pheromone gland, whereas the small spike amplitude neurone was tuned to Z5‐10:OH. A flight tunnel assay showed that blends composed of nine, eight or seven compounds were equivalent to the previously identified three‐component pheromone blend in eliciting male behavioural responses. In field trapping tests, blends of eleven, nine or seven compounds did, however, catch significantly more moths than the three‐component blend. Further assays showed that only 25‐ 12:OAc could significantly increase the catch numbers when added to the three‐component blend, and thus qualified as a fourth pheromone component in A. segerum. The behavioural significance of additional female‐produced acetates — for which males possess antennal receptors — is suggested, but may be impossible to confirm because of ‘diminishing returns’ when trying to refine a multicomponent pheromone further.

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keywords
(Z)‐5‐decenyl acetate, (Z)‐5‐dodecenyl acetate, (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate, (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate, Agrotis segetum, electrophysiology, flight tunnel. field tests, receptor neurone, sex pheromone, single‐sensillum recordings, turnip moth
in
Physiological Entomology
volume
20
issue
1
pages
12 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0029141730
ISSN
0307-6962
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-3032.1995.tb00804.x
project
Evolutionary mechanisms of pheromone divergence in Lepidoptera
language
English
LU publication?
yes
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b5a1ad05-4d7b-4f98-9363-6b52e9fa1aab
date added to LUP
2020-05-26 16:30:19
date last changed
2024-04-03 06:53:52
@article{b5a1ad05-4d7b-4f98-9363-6b52e9fa1aab,
  abstract     = {{<p>Abstract.  In addition to the pheromone components (Z)‐5‐decenyl, (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl and (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z5‐10:OAc, Z7‐12:OAc and Z9‐14:OAc), it has previously been shown that the sex pheromone gland of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae Schiff) contains 10:OAc, 12:OAc, Z5‐12:OAc, Z9‐12:OAc, 11–12:OAc, Z5‐14:OAc, Z7‐14:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc. To find out whether any of these additional compounds is involved in the sex pheromone communication in A. segetum, a comprehensive electro‐physiological and behavioural investigation was conducted. Single‐sensillum recordings on male antennae revealed three subtypes of sensilla among the previously so‐called Z5‐10:OAc sensilla. One subtype was identified having one receptor neurone (A) that responded to Z5‐10:OAc with a large spike amplitude and another neurone (B) that responded to (Z)‐5‐decenol (Z5‐10:OH) with a small spike amplitude. In another subtype the B neurone responded to Z5‐12:OAc and sometimes also to 27‐12:OAc and 10:OAc, in addition to responding to Z5‐10:OH. In a third subtype the A neurone responded to all acetates identified from the female pheromone gland, whereas the small spike amplitude neurone was tuned to Z5‐10:OH. A flight tunnel assay showed that blends composed of nine, eight or seven compounds were equivalent to the previously identified three‐component pheromone blend in eliciting male behavioural responses. In field trapping tests, blends of eleven, nine or seven compounds did, however, catch significantly more moths than the three‐component blend. Further assays showed that only 25‐ 12:OAc could significantly increase the catch numbers when added to the three‐component blend, and thus qualified as a fourth pheromone component in A. segerum. The behavioural significance of additional female‐produced acetates — for which males possess antennal receptors — is suggested, but may be impossible to confirm because of ‘diminishing returns’ when trying to refine a multicomponent pheromone further.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wu, W. ‐Q and Hansson, B. S. and Löfstedt, Christer}},
  issn         = {{0307-6962}},
  keywords     = {{(Z)‐5‐decenyl acetate; (Z)‐5‐dodecenyl acetate; (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate; (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate; Agrotis segetum; electrophysiology; flight tunnel. field tests; receptor neurone; sex pheromone; single‐sensillum recordings; turnip moth}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{81--92}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Physiological Entomology}},
  title        = {{Electrophysiological and behavioural evidence for a fourth sex pheromone component in the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3032.1995.tb00804.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-3032.1995.tb00804.x}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{1995}},
}