Identification of floral compounds from Abelia grandiflora that stimulate upwind flight in cabbage looper moths

Kenneth F. Haynes, Jing Zhang Zhao, Abdul Latif

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

106 Scopus citations

Abstract

Four major volatile components emitted from flowers of Abelia grandiflora were identified based on retention time using two capillary columns of different polarities and electron impact mass spectrometry. These are phenylacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, 2-phenylethanol, and benzyl alcohol. A blend of these compounds was as effective as a cluster of flowers in stimulating upwind flight by male Trichoplusia ni to the source in a wind-tunnel test. Phenylacetaldehyde or 2-phenylethanol were each as effective as the complete blend in stimulating source location by male moths. Attraction to a source of the synthetic blend was demonstrated in virgin males and females and mated males and females, but virgin moths of both sexes were more likely than mated moths to complete the sequence of behavioral responses necessary to locate the odor source.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)637-646
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Chemical Ecology
Volume17
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1991

Keywords

  • Lepidoptera
  • Noctuidae
  • Trichoplusia ni
  • anemotaxis
  • floral attractants
  • wind tunnel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Biochemistry

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