Tribolium confusum responses to blends of cereal kernels and plant volatiles

Abstract

In this study, we report on the behavioural responses of the Tribolium confusum to 6 blends of cereal volatiles. There were tested four doses (1 ng/min, 10 ng/min, 100 ng/min and 1000 ng/min in 50 ll of hexane applied on filter paper). A Y-tube experiment revealed that T. confusum females and males were attracted to the blend 1, 4 and 5 at the concentrations between 1 and 10 ng/min. Confused T. confusum females and males were not attracted to any concentration of blend 2 and 3. Yet the beetle females and males were repelled by the highest concentrations (1000 ng/ min) for all the blends tested and also by the concentration 100 ng/min of all the blends tested, except for blend 1 and 4. Females and males were also repelled by the three blend 6 concentrations tested (10, 100 and 1000 ng/min).

Electroantennographic responses of red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to volatile organic compounds

“…We therefore suggest that future behavioural tests should examine single compounds at different concentrations or mixtures that are not only combined due to chemical similarity but also take metabolic origins into account (Wenda‐Piesik et al. ).…”

“…confusum recently (Wenda‐Piesik et al. ). This might help to set up a semiochemical‐based monitoring and control of T .…”

“…Lipid oxidation results in aldehyde formation not only due to oxidation: the high EAG amplitude of T. castaneum to (E)-2hexenal, hexanal, nonanal and (E)-2-heptenalenzymatically produced 'green leaf aldehydes'together with strong toxic effects of (E)-2-hexenal to storage insect pests including T. castaneum (Hubert et al 2008) suggests that a discriminative evaluation of these aldehydes is adaptive for assessing food quality. We therefore suggest that future behavioural tests should examine single compounds at different concentrations or mixtures that are not only combined due to chemical similarity but also take metabolic origins into account (Wenda-Piesik et al 2016).…”

“…a) Schematic diagram of the 2-ketones with different carbon chain lengths resulting in different vapour pressures; b) Schematic diagram of binding of these 2-ketones to a receptor recognizing the 2-ketone groups without differentiating carbon chain lengths resulting in a monotonous decrease of (EAG) response towards stimuli of an homologous series of increasing molecular weight (vapour pressure rule); c) Schematic diagram of binding of these 2-ketones to a receptor recognizing the 2-ketone groups with differentiating carbon chain lengths resulting in a deviation from the 'vapour pressure rule'. (Germinara et al 2012;Piesik and Wenda-Piesik 2015;Wenda-Piesik et al 2016) and probably mediate host information for palatability and oviposition. Common fungal semiochemicals such as 2-octanol, octan-3-ol and 3-octanone (Thakeow et al 2008;Holighaus et al 2014) showed pronounced EAG responses by female T. castaneum.…”

“…We recommend to preferably use these individual compounds for behaviour tests, as only pentanal, vanillin, maltol, a-pinene, b-caryophyllene and 4,8-dimethyldecanal have been examined till now (Phillips et al 1993;Campbell 2012;Chaubey 2012). In particular, different combinations and mixtures are promising for developing efficient attractant or repellent formulations as demonstrated for T. confusum recently (Wenda- Piesik et al 2016). This might help to set up a semiochemical-based monitoring and control of T. castaneum in future.…”