In the presence of an extract of Ostrinia nubilalis or Mamestra brassicae eggs, female Trichogramma brassicae exhibited increased rates of upwind locomotion in the tubes of a linear olfactometer. GC and GC‐MS analyses of O. nubilalis and M. brassicae egg extracts revealed the presence of fatty acids, their ethyl esters, and various hydrocarbons. Exposing the wasps to a mixture of the five main saturated hydrocarbons (heneicosane, tricosane, pentacosane, heptacosane and nonacosane) increased the upwind progression in the olfactometer. Single hydrocarbons elicited reduced or no activity. Ethyl palmitate and palmitic acid were also effective in increasing upwind locomotion. Z11‐14: Ac, the main component of the female sex pheromone of O. nubilalis was inactive, regardless of its concentration. It is concluded that various compounds present on the surface of the O. nubilalis egg masses may play a role in the orientation of T. brassicae to its host.
Résumé
En présence d'un extrait superficiel d'oeufs d'Ostrinia nubilalis, ou de Mamestra brassicae, les femelles du parasitoïde Trichogramma brassicae présentent une tendance accrue à la remontée du tube dans un olfactomètre linéaire. L'analyse des extraits d'oeufs par chromatographie en phase gazeuse couplée à la spectrométrie de masse révèle la présence d'acides gras, de leurs esters éthyliques, et de divers hydrocarbures. Un mélange des principaux hydrocarbures saturés (hénéicosane, tricosane, pentacosane, heptacosane et nonacosane) déclenche également une remontée plus rapide et plus importante du tube. Chacun de ces hydrocarbures pris isolément présente une activité nulle ou réduite. D'autres constituants des extraits, l'acide palmitique et son ester éthylique, présentent également une certaine activité. En revanche, le Z11‐14: Ac, constituant majoritaire de la phéromone sexuelle d'O. nubilalis, est inactif, quelle que soit la dose utilisée. En conclusion, divers constituants présents à la surface des oeufs de la pyrale du maïs modifient le comportement locomoteur de femelles de T. maïdis et pourraient done jouer un rôle dans l'orientation de ce parasitoïde vers son hôte.
Extracts of maleMamestra brassicae (L.) hairpencils were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and by GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extracts were found to consist of six components. Benzaldehyde, 2-methylpropanoic acid, 2-methylbutanoic acid, and phenol were present in the extracts as well as the previously identified benzyl alcohol and phenyl ethanol. The two major components were 2-phenylethanol and 2-methylbutanoic acid. They represented, respectively, 74% and 12.5% of the total blend in 3-day-old male extracts. Electroantennograms were recorded on male and female antennae in response to stimulation by hairpencil compounds. Male and female antennae responded to each chemical but the female responses were significantly higher than those of the males.
The workers of the leaf-cutting antAtta laevigata were found to mark a territory around their nest and along trunk trails. Elsewhere, we reported that the territorial mark had orientation and agonistic functions. The presence of this mark induced an alarm behavior in intruder workers and stimulated the residents' aggressiveness. Of the parts of the body tested, only the extracts from gaster or Dufour gland were able to induce the same agonistic behavior. The compoundsn-heptadecane, (Z)-9-nonadecene, 8,11-nonadecadiene, and (Z)-9-tricosene, secreted by Dufour gland were identified on foraging trails in the field as components of the territorial odor.
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