Abstract
The female sex pheromone of Rhizoglyphus robini Claparède (Astigmata: Acaridae) was identified as α-acaridial [2(E)-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)- butenedial], which stimulated males sexually and enhanced the frequency of male mounting behavior. Although a hexane extract of females manifested alarm pheromone activity against tested males due to the presence of the alarm pheromone neryl formate, silica gel column fractions containing α-acaridial evoked increased mounting behavior by males at a dose of 0.1 female equivalent. Synthetic α-acaridial at a dose of 10 ng showed a peak of activity as a sex pheromone, with a convex dose–response relationship. Its content was determined to be 388 ± 244 ng per female and 163 ± 97 ng per male by GC. This is the first time that two pheromones (the alarm pheromone neryl formate, and the sex pheromone α-acaridial) have been demonstrated to be components of the same opisthonotal gland secretion in astigmatid mites. A mechanism for the appropriate expression of the two pheromones by the mites under different conditions is proposed.
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Mizoguchi, A., Mori, N., Nishida, R. et al. α-Acaridial a Female Sex Pheromone from an Alarm Pheromone Emitting Mite Rhizoglyphus robini . J Chem Ecol 29, 1681–1690 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024235100289
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024235100289