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Title: MALE-PRODUCED ANTI-SEX PHEROMONE IN A PLANT BUG

Author
item ALDRICH, JEFFREY
item ZHANG, QING-HE - UNIV. OF MARYLAND

Submitted to: Naturwissenschaften
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2003
Publication Date: 9/24/2003
Citation: Aldrich, J.R., Zhang, Q. 2003. Male-produced anti-sex pheromone in a plant bug. Naturwissenschaften. 90(11):505-508.

Interpretive Summary: There are over 10,000 species of plant bugs worldwide, many of which are severe crop pests requiring insecticidal treatment, especially members of a group known as Lygus bugs. Female plant bugs produce attractants (pheromones) from a gland in their thorax, but those of Lygus bugs remain unknown. However, male plant bugs produce the same type of chemicals (but different specific compounds) from the same gland as do females, yet the functions of these male-specific chemicals is essentially unknown. We showed that for one kind of pine-inhabiting plant bug (Phytocoris difficilis)the synthetic male-specific compounds totally prevented males from entering traps baited with an artificial female sex pheromone. These results suggest that in at least some plant bugs males produces secretions that function as anti-sex pheromones, probably to repel other males from further mating attempts. From a practical standpoint, synthetic anti-sex pheromones may be useful for mating disruption of economically important mirids. This information should initially be useful for scientists to test this strategy and, if successful, could be developed commercially for use by growers to control plant bugs.

Technical Abstract: In plant bugs (Miridae), females produce sex pheromones in the metathoracic gland, which in most other true bugs (Heteroptera) is responsible for chemical defence. The possibility that the metathoracic gland secretion of male plant bugs plays a role other than defence has been largely overlooked. Here we present evidence for a pine inhabiting mirid, Phytocoris difficilis, showing that hexyl butyrate and (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate are abundantly produced only in males, and that these metathoracic gland compounds elicit strong antennal responses in conspecific males and totally interrupt attraction of males to the female-produced sex pheromone. These results suggest that in at least some plant bugs the male metathoracic gland esters have a natural communicative function as anti-sex pheromones, probably to repel other males from further mating attempts. From a practical standpoint, synthetic anti-sex pheromones may be useful for mating disruption of economically important mirids.