Oviposition behaviour and the sensilla of the ovipositor of Chilo partellus and Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Abstract

Observations of oviposition behaviour by Chilo partellus revealed that antennae, ovipositor tip and possibly tarsi were all involved in the choice of oviposition site. Among a very large number of typical mechanoreceptor hairs on the tip of the ovipositor valves, two pairs of stouter, blunt‐tipped hairs were discovered. These hairs alone took up silver nitrate stain and transmission electron microscope sections revealed that the hair shaft had a hollow lumen within which ran a group of four or five dendrites. It is concluded that these sensilla are contact chemoreceptors and they are positioned in such a way that, with the placing of each egg, they would contact the oviposition substrate. Similar hairs were found on the ovipositor of Spodoptera littoralis. It is suggested that the hairs may prevent oviposition on surfaces directly chemically harmful to the eggs.

Ultrastructure of antennal and posterior abdominal sensilla in Chlorophorus caragana females

“…The Tr.3, Tr.4 and Tr.5 found on the ovipositor of C. caragana are thus assumed to be used to monitor the variation of chemical substances in the microenvironment of oviposition sites, according to previous studies on similar sensilla (Chadha and Roome, 1980;Rice, 1976).…”

Electrophysiological activity of the Sirex noctilio ovipositor: You know the drill?

“…Contact chemoreceptors are present on the ovipositors of a variety of insect species (Rice, 1976;Hood Henderson, 1982;Waladde, 1983;Crnjar et al, 1989;Maher and Thiéry, 2004;Maher et al, 2006;Faucheux, 2012), including Hymenoptera (Nacro and Nénon, 2009). The presence of these sensilla is likely to be associated with oviposition in fresh plants: indeed, the uniporous sensilla are known to respond to chemicals such as salts, water, and amino acids (Rice, 1976;Chadha and Roome, 1980). Evidence that the sensilla respond to host odours from Pinus spp.…”

Sensilla digitiformia and campaniformia on the tip of the piercing ovipositor ofDyseriocrania subpurpurella(Haworth 1828) (Lepidoptera: Eriocraniidae)

“…After that date, uniporous contact chemoreceptive sensilla were described in certain families: the Noctuidae (Chadha & Roome 1980), Gelechiidae (Valencia & Rice 1982), Pyralidae (Chadha & Roome 1980, Anderson & Hallberg 1990, Faucheux 1991, and Tortricidae (Faucheux 2000, Banga et al 2003. From 1988 onwards, multiporous sensilla trichodea or basiconica, with a putative chemoreceptive function, have been discovered: in keratinophagous Tineidae (Faucheux 1988), in phytophagous moths such as the Pyralidae (Faucheux 1991(Faucheux , 1995b(Faucheux , 2006Reymonet & Faucheux 1991), and in Tortricidae (Faucheux 2000, Banga et al 2003.…”