Switching attraction to inhibition: mating-induced reversed role of sex pheromone in an insect

Barrozo, Romina B.; Gadenne, Christophe; Anton, Sylvia

doi:10.1242/jeb.043430

Cited by 71 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…The reactive search strategy considered here was inspired by the behavioral patterns of male moths attracted by a sex pheromone. It performed well in laboratory conditions (Figure 6), allowing the localization of a low emission source (pheromone dose of 10 μg in our case versus 10 mg in previous work 24 ) in a relatively large search space (initial distance from source of 2 m versus 10 cm in previous experiments [20][21] ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Martinez¹,

Arhidi²,

Demondion³

et al. 2014

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Robots designed to track chemical leaks in hazardous industrial facilities 1 or explosive traces in landmine fields 2 face the same problem as insects foraging for food or searching for mates 3 : the olfactory search is constrained by the physics of turbulent transport 4. The concentration landscape of wind borne odors is discontinuous and consists of sporadically located patches. A pre-requisite to olfactory search is that intermittent odor patches are detected. Because of its high speed and sensitivity [5][6] , the olfactory organ of insects provides a unique opportunity for detection. Insect antennae have been used in the past to detect not only sex pheromones 7 but also chemicals that are relevant to humans, e.g., volatile compounds emanating from cancer cells 8 or toxic and illicit substances [9][10][11] . We describe here a protocol for using insect antennae on autonomous robots and present a proof of concept for tracking odor plumes to their source. The global response of olfactory neurons is recorded in situ in the form of electroantennograms (EAGs). Our experimental design, based on a whole insect preparation, allows stable recordings within a working day. In comparison, EAGs on excised antennae have a lifetime of 2 hr. A custom hardware/software interface was developed between the EAG electrodes and a robot. The measurement system resolves individual odor patches up to 10 Hz, which exceeds the time scale of artificial chemical sensors 12. The efficiency of EAG sensors for olfactory searches is further demonstrated in driving the robot toward a source of pheromone. By using identical olfactory stimuli and sensors as in real animals, our robotic platform provides a direct means for testing biological hypotheses about olfactory coding and search strategies 13

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Martinez¹,

Arhidi²,

Demondion³

et al. 2014

JoVE

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“…Deng et al, 2004;Schmidt-Büsser et al, 2009;Barrozo et al, 2010;Varela et al, 2011a). Such synergistic interactions may reflect ecological advantages by regulating and mediating sexual communication in phytophagous insect species (Landolt, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the silk moth, Bombyx mori, synergistic effects of plant compounds on pheromone responses in PNs of the pheromone-specific MGC have been described, whereas plant compound responses of neurons in the OG were not modified when adding the sex pheromone (Namiki et al, 2008). In virgin males of the noctuid moth Agrotis ipsilon, an increase of responses to the flower volatile heptanal was found in AL neurons of the OG when adding the sex pheromone (Barrozo et al, 2010). Most of these studies [except on the peripheral level (Party et al, 2009;Rouyar et al, 2011)] on mixtures of sex pheromone and plant odours were performed using individual stimulations of odours, thus revealing static aspects (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More specifically, we studied how a behaviourally active plant volatile, heptanal, applied in individual or pulsed stimulations, affects responses of neurons within the MGC to the species-specific sex pheromone blend in the noctuid moth A. ipsilon, which has a well-studied olfactory-guided behaviour and olfactory system [see Anton et al (Anton et al, 2007) and references therein] (Barrozo et al, 2010). This is a crucial question in olfactory research, because the AL output delivers highly processed information, used for behavioural decision-making within higher brain centres.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plant odour stimuli reshape pheromonal representation in neurons of the antennal lobe macroglomerular complex of a male moth

Chaffiol¹,

Kropf²,

Barrozo³

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYMale moths are confronted with complex odour mixtures in a natural environment when flying towards a female-emitted sex pheromone source. Whereas synergistic effects of sex pheromones and plant odours have been observed at the behavioural level, most investigations at the peripheral level have shown an inhibition of pheromone responses by plant volatiles, suggesting a potential role of the central nervous system in reshaping the peripheral information. We thus investigated the interactions between sex pheromone and a behaviourally active plant volatile, heptanal, and their effects on responses of neurons in the pheromone-processing centre of the antennal lobe, the macroglomerular complex, in the moth Agrotis ipsilon. Our results show that most of these pheromone-sensitive neurons responded to the plant odour. Most neurons responded to the pheromone with a multiphasic pattern and were anatomically identified as projection neurons. They responded either with excitation or pure inhibition to heptanal, and the response to the mixture pheromone + heptanal was generally weaker than to the pheromone alone, showing a suppressive effect of heptanal. However, these neurons responded with a better resolution to pulsed stimuli. The other neurons with either purely excitatory or inhibitory responses to all three stimuli did not exhibit significant differences in responses between stimuli. Although the suppression of the pheromone responses in AL neurons by the plant odour is counterintuitive at first glance, the observed better resolution of pulsed stimuli is probably more important than high sensitivity to the localization of a calling female. Supplementary material available online at

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“…Mated male moths do not respond to the sex pheromone till their reproductive organs are ready 10,11 . Generally, female moths of several species are considered as anosmic.…”

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confidence: 99%

Autodetection in <i>Helicoverpa armigera</i> (Hubner)

et al. 2016

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Autodetection is an olfactory behavioural process where the females of some species respond to their own pheromonal blends. Through electroantennogram studies it has been proved that the gravid females of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) respond to their pheromone blend consisting of Z-11-hexadecenal and Z-9-hexadecenal in the ratio 97 : 3. Male antennae respond more strongly than virgin female antennae. However, antennae of gravid females elicit strong response than unmated males. Also, males showed strong responses in cross-wind flying in wind tunnel experiments, when sex pheromone blends were used. Virgin females and gravid females showed poor response in wind-tunnel studies. The ovipositional experiment where gravid females were allowed to oviposit in the presence and absence of pheromone odours indicated that there was no difference in the number of eggs laid. Through morphological studies, it has been proved that the females also possess sensilla trichoidea, destined to perceive the pheromone blends, though lesser in number than the males. These results support the hypothesis that autodetection of sex pheromones exists in females of H. armigera and is thought to function as a mechanism to induce dispersal under high population densities.

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Switching attraction to inhibition: mating-induced reversed role of sex pheromone in an insect

Cited by 71 publications

References 57 publications

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Plant odour stimuli reshape pheromonal representation in neurons of the antennal lobe macroglomerular complex of a male moth

Autodetection in <i>Helicoverpa armigera</i> (Hubner)

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