Journal of Chemical Ecology

, Volume 42, Issue 1, pp 24–32 | Cite as

Identification of Cattle-Derived Volatiles that Modulate the Behavioral Response of the Biting Midge Culicoides nubeculosus

  • Elin Isberg
  • Daniel Peter Bray
  • Göran Birgersson
  • Ylva Hillbur
  • Rickard Ignell
Article
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

Identification of host-derived volatiles is an important step towards the development of novel surveillance and control tools for Culicoides biting midges. In this study, we identified compounds from headspace collections of cattle hair and urine that modulate the behavioral response of Culicoides nubeculosus, a research model species with a similar host-range as the vectors of Bluetongue disease and Schmallenberg disease in Europe. Combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analysis revealed 23 bioactive compounds, of which 17, together with octanal, were evaluated in a two-choice behavioral assay in the presence of CO2. Decanal, 2-phenylethanal, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-ethylhexanol, 3-methylindole, phenol, and 3-ethylphenol elicited attraction of host seeking C. nubeculosus, whereas heptanal, octanal, nonanal, 3-propylphenol, and 4-propylphenol inhibited the insects’ attraction to CO2, when compared to CO2 alone. 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 3-methylphenol, 4-methylphenol, and 4-ethylphenol elicited both attraction and inhibition. The behavioral responses were dependent on the concentration tested. Our results show that cattle-derived odors have the potential to be used for the manipulation of the behavior of Culicoides biting midges.

Keywords

Culicoides nubeculosus Attraction Behavioral inhibition Bluetongue Schmallenberg Diptera Ceratopogonidae 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This project was financed by the Swedish Research Council (Formas) and supported by the Linnaeus Grant IC-E3 (Formas, Sweden). DPB is supported by an EU Intra-European Fellowship. The authors would also like to acknowledge Simon Carpenter, Eric Denison and James Barber at The Pirbright Institute for their generous supply of C. nubeculosus.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Elin Isberg
    • 1
  • Daniel Peter Bray
    • 1
  • Göran Birgersson
    • 1
  • Ylva Hillbur
    • 1
    • 2
  • Rickard Ignell
    • 1
  1. 1.Unit of Chemical EcologyDepartment of Plant Protection Biology Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
  2. 2.International Institute for Tropical AgricultureIbadanNigeria

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