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Detection of heliothine sex pheromone components in the Australian budworm moth, Helicoverpa punctigera: electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, and behavior

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Abstract

This study examined electrophysiological responses of the Australian budworm moth Helicoverpa punctigera, to heliothine sex pheromone components, via single sensillum recordings (SSR), and examined male neuroanatomy using confocal microscopy and 3D imaging tools. We found that male H. punctigera have three distinct regions of the macroglomerular complex (MGC) in the antennal lobe. Male antennae have only two functional types of sensilla trichoidea (A and C) and type A sensilla contain an olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) that responds to the major sex pheromone component (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald) with axons projecting to the cumulus of the macroglomerular complex (MGC) in the antennal lobe. Type C sensilla contained large-spiking receptor neurons which responded primarily to (Z)-9-tetradecenal (Z9-14:Ald) and to a lesser degree to (Z)-11-hexadecenol (Z11-16:OH). These were co-compartmentalized with small-spiking receptor neurons in type C sensilla which responded strongly to Z9-14:Ald and (Z)-9-hexadecenal (Z9-16:Ald), and to a lesser degree to (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16:OAc) and Z11-16:OH. Axons from the two co-localized neurons in Type C sensilla projected to the two small MGC units, the dorsomedial anterior and dorsomedial posterior, respectively. In wind tunnel assays, the addition of Z9-16:Ald to an otherwise attractive blend completely shut down male H. punctigera upwind flight.

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Abbreviations

AL:

Antennal lobe

Cu:

Cumulus

D:

Dorsal

DMA:

Dorsomedial anterior

DMP:

Dorsomedial posterior

MGC:

Macroglomerular complex

OSN:

Olfactory sensory neuron

SSR:

Single sensillum recording

V:

Ventral

Z9-16Ald:

(Z)-9-Hexadecenal

Z11-16Ald:

(Z)-11-Hexadecenal

Z11-16OAc:

(Z)-11-Hexadecenyl acetate

Z11-16OH:

(Z)-11-Hexadecenol

Z9-14Ald:

(Z)-9-Tetradecenal

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2017-04319 to NKH), Canada Foundation for Innovation (22087 to NKH) and the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural Youth Green Jobs Initiative. All authors declare that they have no competing interests. This study followed all applicable national and institutional guidelines for animal care and experimentation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada

    Kevin Cloonan, Laura Ferguson & N. Kirk Hillier

  2. Kentville Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kentville, NS, Canada

    A. Rebecca Rizzato

  3. Kevin Cloonan, Trécé Inc, PO Box 129, Adair, OK, 74330, USA

    Kevin Cloonan

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  1. Kevin Cloonan
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Cloonan, K., Rizzato, A.R., Ferguson, L. et al. Detection of heliothine sex pheromone components in the Australian budworm moth, Helicoverpa punctigera: electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, and behavior. J Comp Physiol A 206, 939–950 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-020-01450-6

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