Sex attractant of an arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix): A pulsed chemical signal

Conner, William E.; Eisner, Thomas; Meer, Robert Κ. Vander; Guerrero, Ángel; Ghiringelli, Dario; Meinwald, Jerrold

doi:10.1007/bf00302519

Cited by 134 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Thus, female adults are able to start calling and mate soon after emergence. This finding is consistent with previous work demonstrating that female adults are most active with respect to calling and mating at age 1-to 2-day-old (Conner et al 1980;Itagaki and Conner 1987;. GC analysis of pheromone gland extracts showed several peaks, including a very broad peak (Fig.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

“…3,6,9-21:Hy, was initially identified as the major pheromone component of U. ornatrix females (Conner et al 1980). In the present study, however, most females (∼90%) produced about 1/30 the amount of this compound compared to 1,3,6,9-21:Hy.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 58%

“…This result indicates that our colony may consist of two distinct pheromone types and that there may be two distinct populations present in the collection area in Florida. It has been noted previously that different geographical populations of U. ornatrix have different major and minor sex pheromone components (Conner et al 1980;Huang et al 1983;Jain et al 1983). In their natural habitat, U. ornatrix host plants grow in highly populated patches.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like many arctiid moths, U. ornatrix females produce a hydrocarbon pheromone and release it during the scotophase (Conner et al 1980). The major sex pheromone component of U. ornatrix was identified as (Z,Z,6,6,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The major sex pheromone component of U. ornatrix was identified as (Z,Z,6,6,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). This component attracted male moths in the field (Conner et al 1980). Subsequently, however, a different composition of sex attractant was found in this species, varying geographically within populations, and from year to year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification and Biosynthetic Studies of the Hydrocarbon Sex Pheromone in Utetheisa ornatrix

et al. 2007

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The type II class of sex pheromones found in moths is composed of polyene hydrocarbons and their epoxides. Analysis of Utetheisa ornatrix females by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and measurement of responses of male moths by coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection confirmed the presence of large amounts of (Z,Z,Z)-1, 3,6,3,6,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] and smaller amounts of (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-heneicosatriene (3,6,9-21:Hy). Both compounds were detected in pheromone glands of newly emerged adults, with low amounts found in the late pupal stage, indicating that sex pheromone biosynthesis started in the late pupal stage. In our population of females (several hundred sampled), approximately 90% produced the tetraene, 1,3,6,9-21:Hy, as the major component, while the other 10% produced only a large amount (1500-2000 ng) of 3,6,9-21:Hy, with no detectable amount of the tetraene. This result could indicate that two distinct populations are present in our original collection site in Florida. Decapitated female moths accumulated 3,6,9-21:Hy and 1,3,6,9-21:Hy compared to the same age normal females, indicating that female moths continuously produce pheromone. A pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN)-like neuropeptide did not affect sex pheromone production as indicated by injection of synthetic PBAN and decapitation of U. ornatrix female adults. When the labeled precursor, D4-9,12,15-18:acid, was injected into the early pupal stage, the most abundantly labeled hydrocarbons were 3,6,9-21:Hy and 1,3,6,9-21:Hy in the female adults. This result indicated that 3,6,9-21:Hy could be biosynthesized from linolenic acid through chain elongation and decarboxylation. To determine how 1,3,6,9-21:Hy is produced, D4-3,6,9-21:Hy was injected into pupae and monitored for incorporation of label. No label was incorporated into 1,3,6,9-21:Hy, although a large amount of triene, 3,6,9-21:Hy, was recovered in the pheromone gland. This indicates that U. ornatrix females do not use 3,6,9-21:Hy to produce 1,3,6,9-21:Hy, and the terminal double bond is introduced earlier in the biosynthetic pathway. RightsWorks produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. Abstract The type II class of sex pheromones found in moths is composed of polyene hydrocarbons and their epoxides. Analysis of Utetheisa ornatrix females by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and measurement of responses of male moths by coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection confirmed the presence of large amounts of (Z,Z,Z)-1,3,6,9-heneicosatetraene (1,3,6,9-21:Hy) and smaller amounts of (Z,Z, Z)-3,6,9-heneicosatriene (3,6,9-21:Hy). Both compounds were detected in pheromone glands of newly emerged adults, with low amounts found in the late pupal stage, indicating that sex pheromone biosynthesis started in the late pupal stage. In our population of females (several hundred sampled), approximately ...

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 58%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification and Biosynthetic Studies of the Hydrocarbon Sex Pheromone in Utetheisa ornatrix

et al. 2007

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Temporal tuning of odor responses in pheromone-responsive projection neurons in the brain of the sphinx mothManduca sexta

1999

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Biosynthesis of a volatile, methly‐branched hydrocarbon sex pheromone from leucine by arctiid moths (Holomelina spp.)

Charlton

Roelofs

1991

Arch Insect Biochem Physiol

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The biosynthesis of 2-methylheptadecane was investigated in three arctiid moth species, Holomelina lamae, H. immaculata, and H. aurantiaca, all of which use this hydrocarbon as the principal component of their volatile sex pheromone. Following injection into adult females, deuterium-labeled leucine and isovaleric acid were readily incorporated into pheromone but valine and isobutyric acids were not. Radiolabeled acetate and malonic acid also gave good incorporation into pheromone as did 13-methyltetradecanoic acid and 15-methylhexadecanoic acid. These findings support a biosynthetic pathway whereby leucine i s converted to isovaleric acid, which serves as the methyl branch donor and chain initiator; malonic acid donates seven additional 2-carbon units to form 17-methyloctadecanoic acid, which is then decarboxylated to produce the odd-carbon chain hydrocarbon pheromone. Methyl-branched fatty acids were detected in only small amounts or were absent in pheromone gland extracts, and among the different glandular lipid classes, labeled leucine and acetate were only incorporated into hydrocarbons. These findings suggest that once initiated, biosynthesis of the pheromone proceeds rapidly with little or no accumulation of intermediates and/or that the pheromone or some long-chain intermediate i s biosynthesized elsewhere in the insect and transported to the gland.

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Sex attractant of an arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix): A pulsed chemical signal

Cited by 134 publications

References 16 publications

Identification and Biosynthetic Studies of the Hydrocarbon Sex Pheromone in Utetheisa ornatrix

Identification and Biosynthetic Studies of the Hydrocarbon Sex Pheromone in Utetheisa ornatrix

Temporal tuning of odor responses in pheromone-responsive projection neurons in the brain of the sphinx mothManduca sexta

Biosynthesis of a volatile, methly‐branched hydrocarbon sex pheromone from leucine by arctiid moths (Holomelina spp.)

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