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Kairomonal response of the parasitoid, Bracon hebetor Say, to the male-produced sex pheromone of its host, the Greater Waxmoth, Galleria mellonella (L.)

Dweck, Hany K. M. ; Svensson, Glenn LU ; Gündüz, Eylem Akman and Anderbrant, Olle LU (2010) In Journal of Chemical Ecology 36(2). p.171-178
Abstract
Bracon hebetor is a larval ectoparasitoid that utilizes several pests belonging to the family Pyralidae (Lepidoptera) as hosts. In the present study, we analyzed the kairomonal response of this wasp to the male-produced sex pheromone of a host, the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, an economically important pest of honeybees, Apis mellifera. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) revealed three compounds in headspace collections from male G. mellonella that elicited responses from B. hebetor antennae: decanal and the previously identified sex pheromone components, nonanal and undecanal. Y-tube olfactometer tests that used na < ve, mated wasps showed that females, but not males, were... (More)
Bracon hebetor is a larval ectoparasitoid that utilizes several pests belonging to the family Pyralidae (Lepidoptera) as hosts. In the present study, we analyzed the kairomonal response of this wasp to the male-produced sex pheromone of a host, the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, an economically important pest of honeybees, Apis mellifera. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) revealed three compounds in headspace collections from male G. mellonella that elicited responses from B. hebetor antennae: decanal and the previously identified sex pheromone components, nonanal and undecanal. Y-tube olfactometer tests that used na < ve, mated wasps showed that females, but not males, were highly attracted to (a) male G. mellonella headspace samples, (b) two synthetic blends of nonanal and undecanal (in ratios matching that found in male moth samples), and (c) the two aldehydes tested individually. Further, female wasps did not discriminate between a blend of aldehydes and male G. mellonella headspace. In dose-response trials that used octanal, nonanal, decanal, and undecanal, no difference in EAG responses of the two sexes was observed, except for undecanal at the second highest dose, for which female antennae showed significantly larger responses than did male antennae. When the two binary blends were tested at different doses, female wasps were significantly attracted to the two highest doses (1 A mu g and 10 A mu g), but not to the lowest dose (100 ng). Our results show that females of this economically important parasitoid utilize the male-produced sex pheromone of a host as an indirect cue to guide them to potential oviposition sites. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Host-parasitoid interaction, Attraction, Behavioral, experiment, Electrophysiology, GC-EAD, Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Pyralidae, Lepidoptera, Semiochemical
in
Journal of Chemical Ecology
volume
36
issue
2
pages
171 - 178
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000274711700005
  • scopus:77950457418
  • pmid:20155500
ISSN
1573-1561
DOI
10.1007/s10886-010-9746-x
project
Pheromones and kairomones for control of stored product pests
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f25ca251-3dae-46e5-9233-077bcdb1a94b (old id 1568536)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:03:08
date last changed
2024-04-09 23:48:16
@article{f25ca251-3dae-46e5-9233-077bcdb1a94b,
  abstract     = {{<i>Bracon hebetor</i> is a larval ectoparasitoid that utilizes several pests belonging to the family Pyralidae (Lepidoptera) as hosts. In the present study, we analyzed the kairomonal response of this wasp to the male-produced sex pheromone of a host, the greater wax moth <i>Galleria mellonella</i>, an economically important pest of honeybees, <i>Apis mellifera</i>. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) revealed three compounds in headspace collections from male G. mellonella that elicited responses from B. hebetor antennae: decanal and the previously identified sex pheromone components, nonanal and undecanal. Y-tube olfactometer tests that used na &lt; ve, mated wasps showed that females, but not males, were highly attracted to (a) male G. mellonella headspace samples, (b) two synthetic blends of nonanal and undecanal (in ratios matching that found in male moth samples), and (c) the two aldehydes tested individually. Further, female wasps did not discriminate between a blend of aldehydes and male G. mellonella headspace. In dose-response trials that used octanal, nonanal, decanal, and undecanal, no difference in EAG responses of the two sexes was observed, except for undecanal at the second highest dose, for which female antennae showed significantly larger responses than did male antennae. When the two binary blends were tested at different doses, female wasps were significantly attracted to the two highest doses (1 A mu g and 10 A mu g), but not to the lowest dose (100 ng). Our results show that females of this economically important parasitoid utilize the male-produced sex pheromone of a host as an indirect cue to guide them to potential oviposition sites.}},
  author       = {{Dweck, Hany K. M. and Svensson, Glenn and Gündüz, Eylem Akman and Anderbrant, Olle}},
  issn         = {{1573-1561}},
  keywords     = {{Host-parasitoid interaction; Attraction; Behavioral; experiment; Electrophysiology; GC-EAD; Hymenoptera; Braconidae; Pyralidae; Lepidoptera; Semiochemical}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{171--178}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Chemical Ecology}},
  title        = {{Kairomonal response of the parasitoid, <i>Bracon hebetor</i> Say, to the male-produced sex pheromone of its host, the Greater Waxmoth, <i>Galleria mellonella</i> (L.)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9746-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10886-010-9746-x}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}