Significance of the pyrrolic nitrogen atom in receptor recognition ofAtta texana (Buckley) (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) trail pheromone and parapheromones

Calculations of the charge of the pyrrolic nitrogen atom in the trail pheromone ofAtta texana, methyl 4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate, as well as 17 analogs, showed that the most active compounds all had the same charge of –0.51 electrons on the nitrogen atom. It is suggested that the close value for this charge may be important in recognition by the receptor.This work was supported in part by the University of Iowa Computer Center.     

Behavioral responses of malePeriplaneta americana L. to female sex pheromone components,periplanone-A and periplanone-B

Bioassays were performed on malePeriplaneta americana L. using synthetic (–)-periplanone-B (P-B) and Hauptmann's (–)-periplanone-A (P-A), and their mixtures at various ratios to estimate the roles of both periplanones for the sexual communication of the species. Both P-A and P-B elicited qualitatively the same responses, such as antennal movement, rapid locomotion, wing raising, and homosexual behavior of male cockroaches, but the threshold of the pheromone activities for P-B was two orders of magnitude lower than that of P-A. Neither synergistic nor inhibitory but only a simple integrated effect on the responses was observed when mixtures of P-A and P-B were applied.     

Pheromone-mediated copulatory responses of the screwworm fly,Cochliomyia hominivorax

A bioassay based on male copulatory responses occurring on contact with dead decoy insects was used to confirm the existence of a sex pheromone in the screwworm fly,Cochliomyia hominivorax. Males responded to female but not male decoys. Mated and virgin females were equally stimulatory. Activity was abolished when females were washed with hexane but partially restored by treatment with crude hexane extract of females. Responses decreased when extracts were diluted and when the number of females extracted per milliliter of hexane was decreased from 20 to 1 in the preparation of extracts concentrated to 0.4 female/l. Sexually mature female decoys of the 009 strain, the most laboratory-adapted of three strains examined in intrastrain tests, produced few copulatory attempts compared with those of Aricruz or DE-9 strains. However, newly emerged 009 as well as Aricruz females elicited responses from about 80% of sexually mature males. Those of the DE-9 strain stimulated fewer than 1%. The observation that 009 females were maximally stimulatory before becoming receptive to mating suggests that these strain differences resulted from laboratory colonization.     

Chemically mediated behavior in Acari: Adapations for finding hosts and mates

Ticks and mites respond to a limited spectrum of stimuli in their search for hosts and mates. Airborne chemical signals include carbon dioxide, ammonia, organic acids, terpenoids, 2,6-dichlorophenol, and other phenolic compounds. These are detected primarily by sensilla in and adjacent to Haller's organ. Most ixodid species examined have one or more multiporose sensilla that detect such volatiles. These olfactoreceptors enable the ticks to respond to remote volatile chemicals from hosts and from the other ticks, e.g., sex pheromones. Other sensilla, probably mechanogustatory in function, also occur on the tarsi. Gustatory sensilla on the palps detect assembly pheromones that enable ticks and mites to respond to conspecific or heterospecific chemical stimuli in their environment. Responses to those stimuli in ticks result in clustering, i.e., arrestant behavior. Arrestant behavior also occurs in certain mites. Finally, cheliceral chemosensilla enable ticks to recognize specific phagostimulants in host blood, e.g., ATP and glutathione, that stimulate feeding. InDennacentor variabilis andD. andersoni, these same cheliceral chemosensilla recognize species-specific genital sex pheromones in the vulvae of conspecific mates, without which they do not copulate.     

An economical synthesis of the major sex attractant of the oak leaf roller—cis-10-tetradecenyl acetate

The major sex attractant of the oak leaf roller (Archips semiferanus Walker),cis-10-tetradecenyl acetate (I), was synthesized in 55–62% overall yield by a highly economical route from inexpensive azelaic acid (II).Authorized as Paper No. 4779 in the Journal Series of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Aggregation pheromone characterization and comparison inDrosophila ananassae andDrosophila bipectinata

(Z)-11-Octadecenyl acetate (Z11–18Ac) and (Z)-11-eicosenyl acetate (Z11–20Ac) were identified as the aggregation pheromones ofDrosophila ananassae, andZ11–20Ac was identified as the aggregation pheromone ofDrosophila bipectinata. Z11–18Ac andZ11–20Ac were not attractive alone; however, in combination with fermenting food odors, the acetates attracted flies of both sexes in a wind-tunnel olfactometer. The pheromones were present in the ejaculatory bulb of sexually mature male flies and transferred to the female during mating. MaleD. bipectinata released little if anyZ11–20Ac to the food; however, recently mated females releasedZ11–20Ac to the surrounding surfaces in just a few hours after mating.D. ananassae males, on the other hand, appeared to release moreZ11–18Ac andZ11–20Ac to the surroundings than mated females. AlthoughD. bipectinata males had noZ11–18Ac, flies were as attracted toZ11–18Ac as to an equal quantity ofZ11–20Ac.D. ananassae were attracted toZ11–18Ac but not toZ11–16Ac orZ11–20Ac. However,Z11–20Ac in combination withZ11–18Ac was significantly more attractive thanZ11–18Ac alone.     

Comparative analysis of sex-pheromone-response antagonists in three races of European corn borer

Behavioral responses of males from three New York races of European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), to various suspected sexpheromone-response antagonists were investigated with a flight tunnel protocol. Males from a bivoltine (Z) race and from a univoltine (Z) race utilizing a natural pheromone blend of 982 (Z)-(E)-11-tetradecenyl acetates and males from a bivoltine (E) race utilizing a 199 (Z)-(E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate ratio were flown to their natural blends and to blends containing 1 % of one of the following additional compounds: Z9–12OAc,E9–12OAc,Z9–14OAc, andE9–14OAc. In each race, the added components lowered significantly the number of individuals completing the behavioral sequence. The only exception was bivoltineE males flown to a blend withE9–12OAc added. The number completing the sequence in this case was statistically not significantly lower than the number that completed the sequence to the standard blend. In all three races, theZ9–14OAc produced the most dramatic reduction in completed flights, and in the univoltineZ race, this added component was significantly more effective in reducing completed flights than any other added component. The response to the Z9–14OAc is understandable given recently published findings of an electrophysiological study of single sensilla in the European corn borer.     

Aldehydic contact poisons and alarm pheromone of the antCrematogaster scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae)

The Dufour gland ofCrematogaster scutellaris stores a mixture of long-chain primary acetates bearing a cross-conjugated dienone (Scheme 1, la-c). The poison gland contains two highly active enzymes: an acetate esterase and an alcohol oxidase. During venom emission, the constituents of both glands mix and accumulate on the sting, where the formation of the highly electrophilic aldehydes (Scheme 1, 2a-c) from their acetate precursors is initiated. Acetic acid, produced during the reaction, acts as alarm pheromone. The toxicity of the acetates (Scheme 1, la-c) and of the crude secretion has been assessed by topical application onMyrmica rubra. The acetatecontaining secretion from the Dufour gland was less toxic than the enzymatically altered secretion that was rich in aldehydes. The production of acids (Scheme 1, 3a-c) was an artifact resulting from the nonenzymatic oxidation of the unstable aldehydes.     

Biochemical and behavioral evidence foe hybridization between fire ants,Solenopsis invicta andSolenopsis richteri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Behavioral and biochemical evidence is presented for hybridization between the fire ants,Solenopsis richteri andS. invicta. The response of the two species to extracts of their trail pheromones presented as a point source is clearly species-specific; however, hybrid workers responded to parental Dufour's gland extracts and parental workers responded to Dufour's gland extracts of the hybrid. The behavioral evidence for hybridization was confirmed by gas Chromatograph comparison of the Dufour's gland extracts of the three fire ant forms, which showed a pattern for the hybrid that was intermediate to the two parental species.     

Evidence for (E,Z)-8,10-dodecadienyl acetate as the major component of the sex pheromone of the eastern pine seedworm,Cydia toreuta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

The sex pheromone ofCydia toreuta (Grote), the eastern pine seedworm, was investigated using electroantennogram (AG) measurements, gas chromatography (combined GC-FID-EAD) measurements, and field tests. (E,Z)-8,10-dodecadienyl acetate (E,Z8,10-12:Ac) and (E,E)-8,10-dodecadienyl actetate (E,E8,10-12: Ac) produced both the highest EAG and EAD responses. Only a single antennal stimulatory peak was observed when female abdominal tip extracts were analyzed by GC-FID-EAD, which corresponded exactly with that of authenticE,Z8,10-12: Ac. Field tests confirmedE,Z8,10-12: Ac as the major pheromone component. TheE,Z isomer by itself caught equivalent numbers of male moths as did caged females. The addition of theE,E isomer to theE,Z form increased trap catch, although not significantly (P = 0.05). The addition of (Z,Z)-8,10-dodecadienyl acetate to theE,Z isomer significantly (P=0.05) reduced trap catch, while the addition of (Z,E)-8,10-dodecadienyl acetate to theE,Z form also decreased trap catch, but not significantly (P=0.05).