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Title: Electrophysiological response of female dogwood borer (lepidoptera: sesiidae) to apple volatile compounds

Author
item FRANK, D.L. - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item Zhang, Aijun
item Leskey, Tracy
item BERGH, J.C. - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/2010
Publication Date: 7/1/2011
Citation: Frank, D., Zhang, A., Leskey, T.C., Bergh, J. 2011. Electrophysiological response of female dogwood borer (lepidoptera: sesiidae) to apple volatile compounds. Journal of Entomological Science. 46(3):204-215.

Interpretive Summary: The dogwood borer (DWB) causes severe problems on woody ornamentals, nut trees, and fruit trees. It has been widespread in commercial apple orchards in the eastern United States and Canada since the 1980’s. In our previous study, we identified that the female DWB produced sex attractant, which attracted males for mating. In this research, we studied how DWBs detect and choose the host plants for feeding and egg laying. We collected volatile chemicals produced by several apple hosts and compared the responses of male and female antennae to these chemicals. This information can help scientists and apple growers to understand host-finding behavior of DWB. They can utilize these host attractive volatile chemicals to monitor DWB pest and to develop behaviorally based control strategies to manage the population of DWB.

Technical Abstract: Coupled gas chromatography and electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) analyses of headspace volatiles from apple host tissues revealed a total of 16 antennal responses to which female dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), responded. There were no differences in the amplitude of the response of antennae from virgin and mated females, and the amplitude of the response of females to host odors was greater than that of males. Four compounds, including octanal, nonanal, decanal, and methyl salicylate, were identified from all headspace collections from apple trees. Use of the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique revealed that a single volatile compound, a-bergamotene, emanating from larval dogwood borer frass elicited a strong female antennal response. This compound was also present in headspace collections from ‘Red Chief Delicious’ apple trees with burr knot tissue infested with dogwood borer larvae and from 1-d-old cut bark on ‘Granny Smith’ trees, suggesting that it is produced by apple trees in response to injury. An additional compound, methyl-2,4-decadienoate, present only in headspace collections from burr knots infested with dogwood borer larvae on ‘Granny Smith’ trees elicited a strong female antennal response.