Periodical and age-related variation in chemical communication system of black cutworm moth, Agrotis ipsilon

  • César Gemeno
  • , Kenneth F. Haynes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Periodical and age-related changes in sex pheromone signaling and response were studied in the black cutworm moth, Agrotis ipsilon. Females began to call on the first night after eclosion and called mainly during the second half of the scotophase. The percentage of females calling increased from 1- to 3-day-old females and decreased from 3- to 6-day-old females (P < 0.001). One-day-old females called later in the scotophase than 2- and 3-day- old females (P = 0.016). The quantity of Z7-12:Ac, Z9-14:Ac, and Z11-16:Ac in pheromone gland extracts of 1- to 6-day-old females varied with time of the photoregime, increasing during scotophase and decreasing during photophase (P ≤ 0.001). These oscillations were described by using equations containing angular terms with a period of 24 hr. The quantities of Z7-12:Ac and Z9- 14:Ac, but not of Z11-16:Ac, varied with female age during the calling period (P < 0.001, P = 0.021, and P = 0.529, respectively). The ratios of Z9-14:Ac and Z11-16:Ac to Z7-12:Ac did not change with age or time during calling period. Male response to female pheromone in a wind tunnel increased with age and time of the scotophase. The type of response exhibited by the males (taking flight, oriented flight, and pheromone source contact) was affected by both age and time of the scotophase (P < 0.001).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)329-342
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Chemical Ecology
Volume26
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments—We thank B. Chastain, R. Dycus, J. Rogers, and S. Rose for technical assistance. Drs. M. Evenden and A. J. Moore reviewed an earlier version of this manuscript. C.G. was funded in part by a Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Institute for Agricultural Research of Spain. This material is based, in part, upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research Service, US Department of Agriculture under Agreement No. 94-37302-0613 and 97-35302-4324. The GC-MSD system was purchased, in part, by funds from the University of Kentucky major equipment program (MRES94-01-Haynes). This investigation (Paper no. 99-08-6) was conducted in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experimental Station.

Funding

Acknowledgments—We thank B. Chastain, R. Dycus, J. Rogers, and S. Rose for technical assistance. Drs. M. Evenden and A. J. Moore reviewed an earlier version of this manuscript. C.G. was funded in part by a Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Institute for Agricultural Research of Spain. This material is based, in part, upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research Service, US Department of Agriculture under Agreement No. 94-37302-0613 and 97-35302-4324. The GC-MSD system was purchased, in part, by funds from the University of Kentucky major equipment program (MRES94-01-Haynes). This investigation (Paper no. 99-08-6) was conducted in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experimental Station.

FundersFunder number
National Institute for Agricultural Research of Spain
U.S. Department of Agriculture94-37302-0613, 97-35302-4324
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
University of KentuckyMRES94-01-Haynes

    Keywords

    • Calling behavior
    • Male response
    • Periodicity
    • Pheromone emission
    • Sex pheromone

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
    • Biochemistry

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