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Behavioural and electrophysiological responses to overlooked female pheromone components in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

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Chemoecology Aims and scope

Abstract

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, has a peculiar sexual chemoecology, guided by both male- and female-borne olfactory cues, mostly produced in rectal glands. Despite the research on B. oleae female pheromones has a long history, only few components (mainly 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane) have been deeply investigated. Detailed evidences about the chemical identity and bioactivity of several others C10–C18 molecules produced in female rectal glands are lacking. We conducted GC and GC/EI–MS, identifying nine sex-specific chemicals and an additional compound [ethyl(Z)-9-octadecenoate], less abundant in females over males. Age-related production of all compounds raised over time. In 21-day-old females, it reached amounts from a minimum of 8.08 ng/fly (n-butyl dodecanoate) to a maximum of 87.19 ng/fly (ethyl hexadecanoate). In EAG experiments, all chemicals were perceived by both sexes. Methyl hexadecanoate and ethyl decanoate attracted males and females, respectively. This is the first report on a female-borne compound attracting conspecific females in Tephritidae. Our study sheds light on the bioactivity of female-borne pheromones involved in the B. oleae chemoecology. Further research is ongoing to test methyl hexadecanoate and ethyl decanoate as lures to enhance sex pheromone blends used in IPM programmes against B. oleae, thus improving control tools against this key pest.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. We would like to thank Roberto Canovai and Giulia Giunti for assistance in the olive fruit fly rearing. This research was financially supported by MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research, Italy)—PRIN 2007. Giovanni Benelli is supported by a MIS. 124 MODOLIVI Grant. Funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Insect Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Angelo Canale, Giovanni Benelli, Donato Romano, Francesco Rapalini & Alfio Raspi

  2. Department of the Sciences of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, via Napoli 25, 71122, Foggia, Italy

    Giacinto Salvatore Germinara

  3. Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, via Risorgimento 35, 56100, Pisa, Italy

    Graziano Fusini & Adriano Carpita

  4. French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Sophia-Antipolis, France

    Nicolas Desneux

  5. Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, via De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy

    Giuseppe Rotundo

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  1. Angelo Canale
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  2. Giovanni Benelli
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  3. Giacinto Salvatore Germinara
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  4. Graziano Fusini
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Correspondence to Giovanni Benelli.

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Handling Editor: Paulo H. G. Zarbin.

A. Canale and G. Benelli contributed equally to the manuscript.

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Canale, A., Benelli, G., Germinara, G.S. et al. Behavioural and electrophysiological responses to overlooked female pheromone components in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae). Chemoecology 25, 147–157 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-014-0183-0

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