Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Attraction of Male Nymphs to Adult Male Volatiles in the Bronze Bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae)

  • Ecology, Behavior and Bionomics
  • Published:
Neotropical Entomology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), is an exotic emerging pest in Eucalyptus commercial forests in South America, Africa and southern Europe. Information on the chemical communication system and reproductive ecology of this insect is scant, and it may be relevant for designing management strategies for eucalypt plantations. Adults and nymphs usually aggregate in the field, possibly by means of chemical signals. Males emit large amounts of 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate, which attracts conspecific adult males but not females. The ecological role of this putative male aggregation pheromone remains unknown. Here, we report olfactometer bioassays showing that late-instar male nymphs are also attracted to synthetic 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate and to adult male volatile extracts, which contain this compound as the major component. As previously shown for adult females, nymphs that moulted into females were not attracted to either volatile stimulus. The intra-gender attraction of nymphs and adults may be related to the exploitation of food resources, or as a reproductive strategy for newly emerged males. Further studies on the reproductive behaviour and mating system of T. peregrinus will contribute to understanding the ecological significance of male-male, adult-nymph attraction, as well as the practical applications that may result from these findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 4
Fig 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baverstock J, Roy H, Pell J (2010) Entomopathogenic fungi and insect behaviour: from unsuspecting hosts to targeted vectors. In: Roy H, Vega F, Chandler D, Goettel M, Pell J, Wajnberg E (eds) The ecology of fungal entomopathogens. Springer, Netherlands, pp 89–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Branco S, Videira N, Branco M, Paiva MR (2015) A review of invasive alien species impacts on eucalypt stands and citrus orchards ecosystem services: towards an integrated management approach. J Environ Manag 149:17–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.09.026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpintero DL, Dellapé PM (2006) A new species of Thaumastocoris Kirkaldy from Argentina (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae: Thaumastocorinae). Zootaxa 1228:61–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciesla WM (2011) Forest entomology: a global perspective. Blackwell, Oxford, p 400. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444397895

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Eberhard WG (1998) Sexual behavior of Acanthocephala declivis guatemalana (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and the allometric scaling of their modified hind legs. Ann Entomol Soc Am 91(6):863–871. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/91.6.863

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia A, Figueiredo E, Valente C, Monserrat VJ, Branco M (2013) First record of Thaumastocoris peregrinus in Portugal and of the neotropical predator Hemerobius bolivari in Europe. Bull Insectol 66:251–256

    Google Scholar 

  • González A, Calvo MV, Cal V, Hernández V, Doño F, Alves L, Gamenara D, Rossini C, Martínez G (2012) A male aggregation pheromone in the bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Thaumastocoridae). Psyche 2012:7

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield MD (2002) Signalers and receivers: mechanisms and evolution of arthropod communication. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 414

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris VE, Todd JW (1980) Male-mediated aggregation of male, female and 5th instar southern green stink bugs and concomitant attraction of a tachinid parasite, Trichopoda pennipes. Entomol Exp Appl 27(2):117–126. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.1980.tb02955.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes KF, Millar JG (2012) Methods in chemical ecology. Volume 2: bioassay methods. Springer, United States

  • Higuchi H, Hiroaki N (1999) Attraction of conspecific adults and nymphs by adults of Riptortus linearis (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Alydidae). Appl Entomol Zool 34(4):455–458. https://doi.org/10.1303/aez.34.455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs DH, Neser S (2005) Thaumastocoris australicus Kirkaldy (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae): a new insect arrival in South Africa, damaging to Eucalyptus trees: research in action. S Afr J Sci 101:233–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolivet P (1992) Insects and plants: parallel evolution and adaptations. Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, FL, p 190

    Google Scholar 

  • Khrimian A, Fay HAC, Guzman F, Chauhan K, Moore C, Aldrich JR (2012) Pheromone of the banana-spotting bug, Amblypelta lutescens lutescens Distant (Heteroptera: Coreidae): identification, synthesis, and field bioassay. Psyche 2012:8

    Google Scholar 

  • Kochansky J, Aldrich JR, Lusby WR (1989) Synthesis and pheromonal activity of 6,10,13-trimethyl-1-tetradecanol for predatory stink bug, Stiretrus anchorago (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). J Chem Ecol 15(6):1717–1728. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01012260

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leal W, Higuchi H, Mizutani N, Nakamori H, Kadosawa T, Ono M (1995) Multifunctional communication in Riptortus clavatus (Heteroptera: Alydidae): conspecific nymphs and egg parasitoid Ooencyrtus nezarae use the same adult attractant pheromone as chemical cue. J Chem Ecol 21(7):973–985. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02033802

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez G, López L, Cantero G, González A, Dicke M (2014) Life-history analysis of Thaumastocoris peregrinus in a newly designed mass rearing strategy. Bull Insectol 67:199–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Martins CB, Soldi RA, Barbosa LR, Aldrich JR, Zarbin PH (2012) Volatile chemicals of adults and nymphs of the Eucalyptus pest, Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae). Psyche 2012:6

    Google Scholar 

  • Mascarin GM, Duarte VS, Brandao MM, Delalibera Jr. I (2012) Natural occurrence of Zoophthora radicans (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae) on Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), an invasive pest recently found in Brazil. J Invertebr Pathol 110:401–404, 3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2012.03.025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millar JG (2005) Pheromones of true bugs. In: Schulz S (ed) The chemistry of pheromones and other semiochemicals II. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 37–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Morishima M, Tabuchi K, Ito K, Mizutani N, Moriya S (2005) Effect of feeding on the attractiveness of Riptortus clavatus (Thunberg) (Heteroptera: Alydidae) males to conspecific individuals. Jpn J Appl Entomol Zool 49(4):262–265. https://doi.org/10.1303/jjaez.2005.262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadel R, Wingfield M, Scholes M, Garnas J, Lawson S, Slippers B (2014) Population dynamics of Thaumastocoris peregrinus in Eucalyptus plantations of South Africa. J Pest Sci:1–10

  • Nadel RL, Noack AE (2012) Current understanding of the biology of Thaumastocoris peregrinus in the quest for a management strategy. Int J Pest Manage 58(3):257–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/09670874.2012.659228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima Y, Sakuma M, Sasaki R, Fujisaki K (2010) Adaptive traits of Riptortus pedestris nymphs (Heteroptera: Alydidae) for locating host plants. Ann Entomol Soc Am 103(3):439–448. https://doi.org/10.1603/AN09144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noack AE, Cassis G, Rose HA (2011) Systematic revision of Thaumastocoris Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae). Zootaxa 3121:1–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Paine TD, Steinbauer MJ, Lawson SA (2011) Native and exotic pests of Eucalyptus: a worldwide perspective. Annu Rev Entomol 56(1):181–201. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-120709-144817

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core (2015). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, https://www.R-project.org

  • Schoonhoven LM, Van Loon JJ, Dicke M (2005) Insect-plant biology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 421

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz JJ, Gries G (2010) 2-Phenylethanol: context-specific aggregation or sex-attractant pheromone of Boisea rubrolineata (Heteroptera: Rhopalidae). Can Entomol 142(05):489–500. https://doi.org/10.4039/n10-027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slater JA (1973) A contribution to the biology and taxonomy of Australian Thaumastocoridae with the description of a new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Aust J Entomol 12(2):151–156. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-6055.1973.tb01653.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Speight M, Hunter M, Watt A (2008) Ecology of insects: concepts and applications. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 628

    Google Scholar 

  • Strong DR, Lawton JH, Southwood TRE (1984) Insects on plants—community patterns and mechanisms. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, p 313

    Google Scholar 

  • Suma P, Nucifora S, Bella S (2014) New distribution record of the invasive bronze bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero and Dellapé (Heteroptera, Thaumastocoridae) in Italy. EPPO Bull 44(2):179–182. https://doi.org/10.1111/epp.12122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber DC, Leskey TC, Cabrera Walsh G, Khrimian A (2014) Synergy of aggregation pheromone with methyl-(E,E,Z)-2,4,6-decatrienoate in attraction of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). J Econ Entomol 107(3):1061–1068. https://doi.org/10.1603/EC13502

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler AG Jr (1980) The mirid rectal organ: purging the literature. Fla Entomol 63(4):481–485. https://doi.org/10.2307/3494532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zar J (2010) Biostatistical analysis. Pearson Prentice Hall International, New Jersey, p 663

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang QH, Aldrich JR (2003) Male-produced anti-sex pheromone in a plant bug. Naturwissenschaften 90(11):505–508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-003-0466-8

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang QH, Chauhan K, Erbe E, Vellore A, Aldrich J (2004) Semiochemistry of the goldeneyed lacewing Chrysopa oculata: attraction of males to a male-produced pheromone. J Chem Ecol 30(9):1849–1870. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000042406.76705.ab

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Gissel Cantero for technical assistance with insect maintenance.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Agency for Science and Innovation of Uruguay (ANII), projects FSA-2009-3133 and FSA-2013-13033. We also thank ANII for a post-doctoral fellowship to HFG.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lab de Ecología Química, Facultad de Química, Univ de la República, Av. General Flores 2124, Montevideo, 11800, CP, Uruguay

    M V Calvo, H F Groba, C Sellanes, C Rossini & A González

  2. Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Ruta 5 Km. 386, Tacuarembó, 45000, CP, Uruguay

    G Martínez

Authors
  1. M V Calvo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H F Groba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C Sellanes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C Rossini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Edited by Raul Laumann – Cenargen/Embrapa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Calvo, M.V., Groba, H.F., Martínez, G. et al. Attraction of Male Nymphs to Adult Male Volatiles in the Bronze Bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae). Neotrop Entomol 47, 835–841 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-017-0576-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-017-0576-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation