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Epicuticular Wax Chemicals in Zea mays Influence Oviposition in Ostrinia nubilalis

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Abstract

The chemical basis of oviposition elicitation in a generalist herbivore was determined by examination of oviposition responses in Ostrinia nubilalis to corn (Zea mays) chemicals in two-choice laboratory bioassays. A pentane extract of corn leaves stimulated oviposition and the activity persisted for three days, indicating that oviposition in O. nubilalis is elicited by low-volatility chemicals. Chemicals in the extract were fractionated by column chromatography on Florisil, using a sequence of solvents of increasing polarity. Bioassays of Florisil fractions indicated that the stimulants were eluted with nonpolar solvents. Positive bioassay results with an extract prepared by dipping corn leaves in pentane for 20 sec for extraction of leaf surface chemicals suggested that some of the active material was present in the leaf epicuticle. Gas chromatographic analyses and comparisons with retention times of standards suggested the presence of several n-alkanes in the dip extract. Five n-alkanes—hexacosane, heptacosane, octacosane, nonacosane, and tritriacontane—known to be present in the epicuticle of corn leaves were bioassayed, and all five elicited oviposition responses. These results suggest that oviposition elicitation in O. nubilalis is influenced by the presence of n-alkanes in the host plant epicuticle.

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Author notes

  1. Sujaya Udayagiri

    Present address: Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, Division of Insect Biology, University of California, 201 Wellman Hall #3112, Berkeley, California, 94720

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Applied Ecology, Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Delaware, 248 Townsend Hall, Newark, Delaware, 19717-1303

    Sujaya Udayagiri & Charles E. Mason

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  1. Sujaya Udayagiri
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  2. Charles E. Mason
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Udayagiri, S., Mason, C.E. Epicuticular Wax Chemicals in Zea mays Influence Oviposition in Ostrinia nubilalis . J Chem Ecol 23, 1675–1687 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006443.72203.f7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006443.72203.f7

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