Olfactory and behavioural responses of tsetse flies, Glossina spp., to rumen metabolites

Abstract

Herbivores provide tsetse Xies with a blood meal, and both wild and domesticated ruminants dominate as hosts. As volatile metabolites from the rumen are regularly eructed with rumen gas, these products could serve tsetse Xies during host searching. To test this, we Wrst established that the odour of rumen Xuid is attractive to hungry Glossina pallidipes in a wind tunnel. We then made antennogram recordings from three tsetse species (G. pallidipes morsitans group, G. fuscipes palpalis group and G. brevipalpis fusca group) coupled to gas chromatographic analysis of rumen Xuid odour and of its acidic, mildly acidic and neutral fractions. This shows tsetse Xies can detect terpenes, ketones, carboxylic acids, aliphatic aldehydes, sulphides, phenols and indoles from this biological substrate. A mixture of carboxylic acids at a ratio similar to that present in rumen Xuid induced behavioural responses from G. pallidipes in the wind tunnel that were moderately better than the solvent control. The similarities in the sensory responses of the tsetse Xy species to metabolites from ruminants demonstrated in this study testify to a contribution of habitat exploitation by these vertebrates in the Africa-wide distribution of tsetse.

Characterizing the scent and chemical composition of Panthera leo marking fluid using solid-phase microextraction and multidimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-olfactometry

“…4-Methylphenol’s effect on behavior has been thoroughly researched in many animal species Bubalus bubalis 59 ; Alces alces 60 ; Glossina spp. 61–63 ; Stomoxys calcitrans 64 ; Equus caballus 65, 66 . It plays a primary role in signifying estrus status in Equus caballus and Bubalus bubalis 59 and sexual receptivity in male Equus caballus 65 .…”

“…depilis 118 ; Nearctic messor 119 ; Bombyx mori 73 18LinaloolAlarm recruitment, Attraction Vespula maculifrons 71 ; Bombyx mori 73 ; Colletes cunicularius 74 ; Corythucha cydoniae 75 ; Mus musculus 76 191-OctanolForaging, Alarm recruitment, Sensory perception Microplitis croceipes 51 ; Apis dorsata 51 20ButyrolactoneAppetite, Vomiting, and Tremor Suppression, Estrus Papio anubis 120 ; Sus scrofa 121 ; Bos Taurus 121 21AcetophenoneAnti-attraction, Attraction, Responsiveness Dendroctonus frontalis 89 ; Microplitis croceipes 122 ; Mus musculus 123 ; Dendroctonus brevicomis leConte 124 22DodecanalPhysiological Responses Culex quinquefasciatus 97 23Phenylethyl alcohol24PhenolEstrus, Sexuality Idea leuconoe 125 ; Bos Taurus 70 ; Mamestra brassicae 126 ; Bubalus bubalis 127 25 4-Methylphenol Sexuality, Estrus, Diestrus, Sexual attraction Bubalus bubalis 128 ; Alces alces 60 ; Glossina spp . 61–63 ; Stomoxys calcitrans 64 ; Equus Caballus 65, 66 ; Bison bison 128 262-Piperidinone27IndoleSexuality, Age differentiation Mus musculus 129, 130 28 3-Methylcyclopentanone Seasonal reproduction Meles meles 48 *Superscripted numbers correspond to the reference source. …”

Blood meal analysis of tsetse flies (Glossina pallidipes: Glossinidae) reveals higher host fidelity on wild compared with domestic hosts

“…Our finding of African buffalo as the main hosts of G. pallidipes in Nguruman and Buffalo Ridge supports previous reports that ruminants are attractive to adult G. pallidipes , G. fuscipes and G. brevipalpis (Allsopp et al . 1972a; Harraca et al . 2009).…”

Sex Pheromones and Their Impact on Pest Management

“…The prospect of eradicating tsetse over large areas has appeared to be a serious possibility because of the development of cost-effective semiochemical-based control technologies, notably odor-baited targets that mimic host odor. The search for further host volatiles is ongoing (Harraca et al 2009). The best known attractant identified from cattle volatiles and buffalo urine comprises a blend of 3-n-propyl phenol, 1-octen-3-ol, and 4-methylphenol (pcresol), and a separate dispenser containing methyl ethyl ketone or acetone, (Bursell et al 1988;Vale et al 1988).…”