Pharmacophagy of Methyl Eugenol by Males Enhances Sexual Selection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bactrocera carambolae</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Suk-Ling Wee Keng-Hong Tan Ritsuo Nishida |
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Affiliation: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia;(2) Tan Hak Heng Co., 20, Jalan Tan Jit Seng, 11200 Tanjong Bungah, Penang, Malaysia;(3) Laboratory of Chemical Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;(4) Present address: HortResearch, Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre, Gerald Street, PO Box 51, Lincoln, 8152, New Zealand |
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Abstract: | After pharmacophagy of methyl eugenol (ME), males of Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera: Tephritidae) produced (E)-coniferyl alcohol (CF) along with its endogenously synthesized pheromonal compounds. CF was shown to be released into the
air by the ME-fed males only during the courtship period at dusk and attracted significantly more males and females than the
ME-deprived males in wind tunnel assays. However, earlier onset of sexual attraction and a higher mating success were observed
only in the wind tunnel and field cage assays on the third day posttreatment of ME. Field cage observations on the male-to-male
interaction indicated that the ME-deprived males did not exhibit aggregation behavior, but that ME feeding promoted aggregation
behavior in B. carambolae. Field cage observations revealed that the ME-deprived males were not only attracted to the ME-fed males, but also appeared
to feed on their anal secretions. The secretions were subsequently confirmed to contain CF along with endogenously produced
pheromonal compounds. Results obtained for B. carambolae were compared to those previously obtained from its sibling species, Bactrocera dorsalis, and are discussed in light of species advancement in fruit fly–plant relationships. |
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Keywords: | Bactrocera carambolae Methyl eugenol Volatile emission Coniferyl alcohol Mating competition |
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