Evidence for four-component close-range sex pheromone in the parasitic wasp Glyptapanteles flavicoxis


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Authors: Danci, A; Gries, R; Schaefer, PW; Gries, G
Year: 2006
Journal: Journal of Chemical Ecology 32: 1539-1554
Title: Evidence for four-component close-range sex pheromone in the parasitic wasp Glyptapanteles flavicoxis
Abstract: Females of the parasitic wasp Glyptapanteles flavicoxis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) deposit a close-range sex pheromone from their abdominal tip that attracts conspecific males and elicits wing-fanning behavior. In this study, we isolated the pheromone components and determined their role in the males' behavior. In coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analyses of the females' body extract, four components (below GC detection) elicited strong responses from male antennae. Monitored by GC-EAD, the components were separated by flash silica gel and high-performance liquid chromatography. Y-tube olfactometer experiments with one or more components revealed that all are necessary to elicit short-range attraction and wing-fanning responses by males. These components remained below detection threshold of the mass spectrometer (similar to 10 pg) even when 4500 female equivalents were analyzed in a single injection, which attests to the potency of the pheromone and the insects' sensitivity to it.
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