Identification of a sex pheromone of the chrysanthemum lace bug Corythucha marmorata (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

Abstract

Although the nymphs of Corythucha marmorata form clusters on the undersides of host plant leaves, as frequently observed for Hemiptera, the adults are scattered in the vicinity of the nymph population. By investigating the biological activities of volatile secretions from the adult, we found that the secretions activated male mounting behaviour. A chemical analysis revealed that borneol was a common component of the secretions from both sexes. The absolute configuration of the natural product was the (+)-enantiomer of borneol and the optical isomer was undetectable. Although (+)-borneol showed significant sex pheromone activity against males, the antipode (−)-borneol also induced sex pheromone activity, albeit only slightly. Males may not have a strict identification mechanism based on stereochemistry. To verify the origin of this sex pheromone, we analysed the components of the essential oil of the leaves of Solidago canadensis L. (Compositae: Asteraceae), a host plant; bornyl acetate was detected to be a major component. The plant-produced bornyl acetate had different stereochemistry from the sex pheromone. The results suggested that the adults do not utilise the secondary metabolites of plants but biosynthesise this sex pheromone themselves. This is the first report on sex pheromone identification in Tingidae.

Development and laboratory validation of a plant-derived repellent blend, effective against Aedes aegypti [Diptera: Culicidae], Anopheles gambiae [Diptera: Culicidae] and Culex quinquefasciatus [Diptera: Culicidae]

“…others being attractants depending on the dose and insect species in question [62][63][64][65][66]. It is of note that those attracted to the compounds outwardly tend to be herbivorous, and those repelled are blood feeding; given the relative conservation of olfactory stimuli in blood feeding arthropods, it is possible that the blends described herein will have functions beyond mosquito control.…”

Evaluation of two invasive plant invaders in Europe (Solidago canadensis and Solidago gigantea) as possible sources of botanical insecticides

“…This compound has been proved to exert anti-inflammatory activity (Tung et al 2008). Interestingly, bornyl acetate is used by some insects, such as Corythucha marmorata (Uhler) (Hemiptera: Tingidae), as a source of sex pheromones (Watanabe and Shimizu 2017). 1-Nonene is a linear alkene occurring in the defensive secretions of tenebrionid beetles (Tschinkel 1975).…”

“…In this regard, it has been reported that goldenrod is an important source of nectar for honeybees (Stefanic et al 2003). Besides, the fact that some major leaf volatile constituents of S. gigantea and S. canadensis EOs, such as germacrene D and bornyl acetate, are pheromones within species belonging to cockroaches and lacewings (Kitamura et al 1996;Watanabe and Shimizu 2017), should give a low risk from an ecotoxicological standpoint. Notably, Solidago spp.…”

Antibacterial Activity of Defensive Secretions from the Lace Bug Stephanitis svensoni (Drake) (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

“…Furthermore, these compounds exhibit various properties such as antibacterial and antifungal activity, inhibition of nematode growth [15], inhibition of prostaglandin H synthase [16], and repellence of birds [17]. Chemical ecology research on the family Tingidae has focused on two invasive species of the genus Corythucha (C. ciliate (Say) and C. marmorata (Uhler)), leading to the identification of alarm pheromones [18,19] and sex pheromone [20].…”