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Male-Produced Pheromone of the Green Lacewing, Chrysopa nigricornis

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Abstract

Gas chromatographic–electroantennographic detection (GC–EAD) analysis showed that male antennae of the green lacewing, Chrysopa nigricornis Burmeister, the most common lacewing species in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, consistently responded to two compounds in thoracic extracts of conspecific males: 1-tridecene and (1R,2S,5R,8R)-iridodial. These compounds were not detected in extracts of the abdominal cuticle, and no other antennally active compounds were found in the abdominal samples. In field-trapping experiments, traps baited with iridodial significantly attracted large numbers of C. nigricornis males (both western and eastern forms) during summer and early fall, plus a few individuals of conspecific females only in early fall. Iridodial also attracted males of the goldeneyed lacewing, C. oculata Say, and, to a lesser extent, C. coloradensis Banks males. Methyl salicylate (MS), reported as an attractant for both sexes of C. nigricornis and C. oculata, was inactive by itself at the concentration tested in our study, but in a few instances slightly enhanced the responses of Chrysopa spp. to iridodial. However, MS alone and its binary blend with iridodial seemed to attract the hoverfly, Metasyrphus americanus (Weidemann). 2-Phenylethanol, a reported attractant for another lacewing, Chrysoperla plorabunda (Fitch) [=carnea (Say)], did not capture any lacewings. Our assays indicated that the lacewing pheromone, iridodial, loaded onto either rubber septa or as a binary blend with MS in polyethylene bags could last at least 5 wk in the field during the summer season. Based on this study, a new attractant system for green lacewings is being developed for both domestic and international markets.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Oliver S. Flint, Jr. (Section of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.) and Dr. N. D. Penny (Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA) for identifications of lacewings and other insect species; and Mr. Fallstrom, Mr. Christensen, Mr. Florianovich, and Mr. Rosengrant (in Spokane, WA) for allowing us to carry out our field-trapping experiments on their property.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sterling International, Inc., 3808 North Sullivan Road, Building 16BV, Spokane,, WA, 99216, USA

    Qing-He Zhang, Rodney G. Schneidmiller, Doreen R. Hoover, Kevin Young, Dewayne O. Welshons & Armenak Margaryan

  2. USDA-ARS Chemicals Affecting Insect Behavior Laboratory, BARC-West, B-007, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Jeffrey R. Aldrich & Kamlesh R. Chauhan

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  1. Qing-He Zhang
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  2. Rodney G. Schneidmiller
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  3. Doreen R. Hoover
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  8. Kamlesh R. Chauhan
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Correspondence to Qing-He Zhang.

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Zhang, QH., Schneidmiller, R.G., Hoover, D.R. et al. Male-Produced Pheromone of the Green Lacewing, Chrysopa nigricornis . J Chem Ecol 32, 2163–2176 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9137-5

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