Sexual Behavior of the Sugarcane Hairy Borer, Hyponeuma taltula (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): Evidence for a Female-Released Sex Pheromone

Abstract

The sugarcane hairy borer, Hyponeuma taltula (Schaus, 1904), attacks the base of sugarcane and causes the death of the apical bud, a symptom known as "dead heart." In recent years, there has been significant infestation in Brazilian sugarcane crops. With the purpose of finding methods for controlling and/or monitoring the pest for the sustainable cultivation of sugarcane, we characterized the mating behavior of H. taltula and confirmed the release of a sex pheromone by this insect. Sexual activity was observed between the second and ninth hour of scotophase, during which female calling caused the onset of male courtship behaviors and increased their frequency. An ethogram was built showing that males perform seven observable steps: (1) wing flapping, (2) walking with wing flapping, (3) flying, (4) flying towards the female, (5) landing near the female and walking around her, (6) attempting copulation, and (7) copulation (mating). Female sex gland extracts also triggered attraction and male courtship behaviors. These results thus confirm that the female abdominal gland produces a sex pheromone and that the presence of this pheromone in the air is needed to initiate the male courtship sequence. The sexual behavior of H. taltula is compatible with control and/or monitoring methods using female sex pheromones.

Steinernema rarum para o controle de Sphenophorus levis, Hyponeuma taltula e Leucothyreus sp. na cultura da cana-de-açucar e sua compatibilidade com vinhaça

“…As fêmeas desta espécie depositam os ovos na base da cana-de-açúcar, de onde as larvas penetram no rizoma e dele se alimentam, juntamente com os nós inferiores da planta, levando a destruição do caule e de alguns tecidos de crescimento (TRIANA et al, 2020). Ao se alimentarem de plantas novas, H. taltula causa a morte da gema apical, ocasionando sintoma conhecido como coração morto, enquanto que o ataque na cana adulta pode causar perda de peso e enfraquecimento da planta, além de possibilitar a entrada de patógenos, diminuindo drasticamente o rendimento do canavial (ZENKER et al, 2007).…”