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Chemical Identification, Emission Pattern and Function of Male-Specific Pheromones Released by a Rarely Swarming Locust, Schistocerca americana

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Abstract

Pheromones serve key functions in the biology of swarming locusts. However, research has focused largely on the mass-swarming desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. We extended these investigations to the pheromonal profile of the rarely swarming American bird grasshopper, S. americana (Drury). The headspace of mature gregarious S. americana males contained three characteristic electroantennogram-active components: (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol, (Z)-2-octen-1-ol, and nonanal. These substances were accompanied by aromatics such as phenol that are also released by females and immatures. Male-specific pheromone components were released independently from epidermal gland cells, with the highest emission rate being for (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol from the abdomen and legs. The emission of the major compound, (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol, is stress-sensitive, and coincides with sexual maturity and crowding. The emission pattern strongly supports a role of (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol in the reproductive biology of S. americana. The pheromone is involved in courtship-inhibition and is used as mate assessment pheromone in cryptic female choice. In double mating experiments, females choose sperm of males with high (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol emission. Furthermore the pheromone accelerated maturation of immature adults and supports synchronization of sexual development.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to R. Csuk (Dep. Org. Chem., Univ. Halle) for the synthesis of (E)-3-nonen-1-ol and (Z)-2-octen-1-ol as basis for the identification of stereoisomers. The sterioisomeric analysis was kindly executed by P. Lindemann (Dep. Pharmac. Biotech., Univ. Halle). R. Gerlach (Dep. Radiation Therapy, Univ. Halle) provided technical support for the sterilization of locusts. We thank S. Hertel for technical assistance and maintenance of the locust culture. Financial support from Max Planck Gesellschaft is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin-Luther-University, Domplatz 4, 06099, Halle, Germany

    Christiane Stahr & Karsten Seidelmann

  2. Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Str. 8, 07745, Jena, Germany

    Aleš Svatoš

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  1. Christiane Stahr
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Table S1

Accurate mass spectra of compounds 1-3 measured on Masspec GC-MS instrument; Peak 1 NIST database hit (Purity/Mixture) 961/963 for 2-octen-1-ol, peak 2 hit 983/983 for nonanal and the major peak 3 hit 989/989 for 3-nonen-1-ol (PDF 16 kb)

Fig. S1

Adducts of acetylation and following DMDS derivatisation of (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol (a) and (Z)-2-octen-1-ol (b) (PDF 24 kb)

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Stahr, C., Svatoš, A. & Seidelmann, K. Chemical Identification, Emission Pattern and Function of Male-Specific Pheromones Released by a Rarely Swarming Locust, Schistocerca americana . J Chem Ecol 39, 15–27 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0233-4

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