Journal of Chemical Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Chemical Composition of Secretions from Facial Glands of Captive Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in Virginia.","authors":"Kristina R Stefaniak, Lark Kellogg, Matthew T Close, Karen E Powers","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01593-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01593-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Our study represents the first known report of hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) facial gland histology and chemical characterization of facial gland secretions. While in captivity from October 2023 to February 2024, facial secretions of a male hoary bat were observed and collected. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of a methanol extraction of November 2023 samples identified 23 compounds after comparing retention times, mass spectra, and Kovats retention index. These compounds consisted of alkanes, alcohols, ketones, terpenoids, monoacylglycerols, and androgens. Of interest was the identification of five androstane derivatives, testosterone metabolites, that have not been seen previously in mammal secretions and indicate possible mating readiness. The chemical analyses from November swabs and histological examination of facial skin in February suggest that this male was actively secreting mate-signaling compounds throughout late fall and winter months. Anecdotal mating records on wintering grounds combined with this bat's warm captive environment likely allowed for this extended mating readiness for his many months at the wildlife center.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11923032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143663606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discrimination of Methyl-Branched Hydrocarbons by Tetramorium tsushimae Ants: a Focus on Branch Position and Chain Length.","authors":"Masayuki Hayashi, Naofumi Ito, Jocelyn G Millar, Kiyoshi Nakamuta","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01595-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01595-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In nature, organisms are exposed to scents and tastes composed of multiple rather than single chemicals. The ability to sense and correctly identify different chemicals within these complex mixtures is essential for optimized behavior. However, when minor variations in chemical structure do not significantly impact the organisms, a generalized response to similar chemicals without discrimination might be more adaptive. In this study, we investigated the ability of ants to discriminate among methyl-branched alkanes. Ants recognize each other using cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), typically composed of a mixture of n-alkanes, n-alkenes, and methyl-branched alkanes. Tetramorium tsushimae ants have been shown to use the methylalkane fraction of CHCs to identify their mutualistic partners. We measured the behavioral responses of ant workers to dummies coated with various hydrocarbons, after presenting them with dummies treated with methylalkanes and a sucrose solution as a reward. The results showed that ants previously exposed to 2-methyltetracosane (2-MeC24) decreased their aggression not only toward 2-MeC24 but also toward 2-MeC26, despite the difference in the chain lengths. Conversely, ants exposed to 13-MeC27 maintained high levels of aggression toward 5-MeC27, which has the methyl branch in a different position. These findings suggest that T. tsushimae ants can differentiate between methylalkanes with different methyl branch positions, but are less able to discriminate between those with the same methyl branch position but different chain lengths.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding your Biases in Collecting Organismal VOCs.","authors":"Lucas Seybert, Christophe Duplais","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01592-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01592-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a fundamental role in organismal interactions, facilitating intra- and interspecific communications. Accurate collection and analysis of VOCs are essential for understanding these interactions, but the choice of collection methods and adsorbent materials can introduce biases. This study investigates the variability and recovery yield in VOC collection using various adsorbents and thin-film solid-phase microextraction (TF-SPME). We compared the performance of nine adsorbents and TF-SPME in capturing a standard VOC mixture and VOCs from rosemary plants. Results show significant differences in efficiency among adsorbents, with Porapak^® P generally providing the best recovery for most compounds. TF-SPME exhibited higher sensitivity and detected a broader range of volatiles compared to adsorbents, though qualitative profiles varied. Our findings underscore the importance of empirical testing in adsorbent selection and highlight the inherent biases in VOC collection methods. These insights aim to guide and empower researchers in making informed decisions regarding experimental design and data interpretation to achieve more accurate and reliable VOC results in chemical ecology studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143630543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fall Armyworm Frass Induce Sorghum Defenses Against Insect Herbivores.","authors":"Sanket Shinde, Edith Ikuze, Esha Kaler, Kashish Verma, Joe Louis","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01591-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01591-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The fall armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda) is a global invasive agricultural pest. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), an important monocot crop cultivated worldwide, faces significant challenges from FAW, which has become a major threat to sorghum production. Plants have evolved a wide array of defense mechanisms to combat insect assault. Caterpillar secretions contain both elicitors and effectors, which can either amplify or suppress plant defenses, thereby influencing plant defense responses. In this study, we examined the role of FAW frass in modulating sorghum defenses. Our results suggest that frass application significantly induced sorghum defenses that impacted subsequent FAW herbivory. We also found that the exogenous frass application significantly elevated the phytohormone levels, specifically jasmonic acid and abscisic acid levels, potentially contributing to enhanced sorghum defense against FAW. Furthermore, FAW frass-treated plants exhibited transient increase in total flavonoids, a class of secondary metabolites, which was previously shown to have a detrimental impact on FAW growth and survival. FAW frass application on sorghum plants mitigated proliferation of specialist aphids (sugarcane aphids), though its effect on generalist aphids (greenbugs) was less pronounced. These findings highlight the role of FAW frass in mediating plant responses against both chewing and piercing-sucking insect pests, providing valuable insights into sorghum's defense mechanisms and its potential for pest management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143624841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential Responses of the Egg-Larval Parasitoid Chelonus Bifoveolatus To Fall Armyworm-Induced and Constitutive Volatiles of Diverse Maize Genotypes.","authors":"Collins O Onjura, Emmanuel Peter, George O Asudi, Michael M Gicheru, Samira A Mohamed, Toby J A Bruce, Amanuel Tamiru","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01585-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01585-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious invasive crop pest and threat to food security. Conventional pest control approaches using chemical pesticides can lead to adverse environmental and human health problems calling for safer alternative pest management options. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by plants constitutively and in response to herbivory have been shown to enhance ecologically benign biocontrol alternatives to chemical insecticides for pest management. However, genotypic variations in VOC emissions have also been reported for plant species including maize (Zea mays). Hence, a better insight into the variations in odor profiles of different maize varieties and their corresponding role in recruiting pests' natural enemies are crucial for developing a sustainable biocontrol strategy. Our present study assessed the behavioral responses of the FAW egg-larval parasitoid, Chelonus bifoveolatus (Braconidae: Hymenoptera), to constitutive and induced volatiles from different maize landraces (Jowi Red, Nyamula) and hybrids (SC Duma, DK 777) grown in Kenya and compared their volatile profiles. In a four-arm olfactometer, female parasitoid wasps were significantly attracted to FAW oviposition-induced VOCs from SC Duma and Nyamula. Chemical analysis of test plant volatiles revealed significant variation in the quantity and quality of key bioactive VOCs such as (E)-2-hexenal, α-pinene, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, α-copaene, (E)-β-farnesene and (E, E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene. Our findings provide more insights into genetic variation in VOCs emission across maize genotypes and the corresponding differences in attraction of pest natural enemies that provide indirect defense. As such, these traits could be exploited to enhance ecologically sustainable pest management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11903515/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Polyhydroxysteroids Derivatives from Starfish Asterias amurensis Induce Embryotoxicity in Marine Medaka.","authors":"Xiaodong Li, Zhen Lu, Derui Wang, Zhi Yan, Xiuli Yin, Youhou Xu, Song Wang, Ke Li","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01594-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01594-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, multiple population outbreaks of the Northern Pacific starfish (Asterias amurensis) have been documented off the coast of Qingdao. Starfish use chemosensation to regulate their life history and interactions with the environment, with their secondary metabolites serving as deterrents and dispersal agents against predators. While the eggs of marine fish are passive and susceptible, we hypothesized that the secondary metabolites of A. amurensis may cause embryotoxicity and exhibit a more insidious chemical function. In this study, we identified the secondary metabolites of A. amurensis collected from the Yellow Sea of China. Five new polyhydroxysteroid derivatives, (22Z)-26-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-24-nor-5α-cholestane-22(23)-ene-3β,6α,7α,15α,26-pentaol (1), (24S)-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-5α-cholestane-3β,6α,7α,15α,24-pentaol (2), (22E,24S)-24-O-[4-O-sulfo-β-D-xylopyranosyl]-5α-cholest-9(11)-ene-3β,6α,7α,15β,24-pentol (3), (24S)-methylene-28-O-sulfo-5α-cholestane-3β,6α,15α,24-tetraol (4), and 6α-O-sulfo-5α-cholestane-3β,5-diol (5), together with two known steroids, (24S)-24-methyl-5α-cholestane-3β,6α,15β,24,24'-pentaol (6) and (20E)-3β,6α-dihydroxy-5α-cholesta-9(11),20(22)-dien-23-one (7) were identified from the n-butanol extract. NMR and HRESI-MS were employed for structure elucidations. The embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of the isolated compounds were assessed using embryos of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). Compound 5 induced significantly higher mortality rates than other compounds, causing up to 70% mortality at 96 hpf, with a 96 h-LC₅₀ of 60.51 µM.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Host Plant Odour and Sex Pheromone Are Integral To Mate Finding in Codling Moth.","authors":"Anna Laura Erdei, Maria Sousa, Francisco Gonzalez, Marie Bengtsson, Peter Witzgall","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01588-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01588-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11903616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and Seasonal Abundance of Web- and Air-Borne Sex Pheromone Components of Western Black Widow Spiders, Latrodectus hesperus.","authors":"Andreas Fischer, Alexandra J Fischer, Regine Gries, Emmanuel Hung, Kelvin Lau, Aryan Monfared, Gerhard Gries","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01590-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01590-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sex pheromones mediate mate location in many animal taxa. Widow spider males are attracted to sex pheromones disseminating from female webs. Upon arrival on a web, males court in response to web-borne contact pheromone components. N-3-Methylbutanoyl-O-methylpropanoyl-L-serine methyl ester (1) is the single known, weakly effective, contact pheromone component of female western black widows, Latrodectus hesperus. Moreover, the seasonal periodicity of pheromone signalling by female spiders is unknown. We tested the hypotheses that females of L. hesperus (1) deposit multiple contact pheromone components on their web that transition to mate-attractant pheromone components, and (2) increase pheromone signalling during the primary mating season. Analyses of web extract by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS; LC-MS) revealed N-3-methylbutanoyl-O-methylpropanoyl-L-serine (7), the corresponding acid of 1. Web extract of unmated female L. hesperus, and the synthetic blend of 1 and 7, were equally effective in eliciting courtship by males but web extract induced more sustained courtship. Tested singly, 7 prompted longer courtship behaviour by males than 1. Synthetic isobutyric acid (10), the hydrolysis product of 1 and 7, attracted male spiders in a field experiment. The abundance of 1 and 7 on female webs, with expected corresponding dissemination of 10 from webs, peaked during the summer when males are most abundant, indicating strategic sexual signalling by female spiders.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11903603/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nuance in the Narrative of a Brown Poison Frog: Environmental Alkaloids and Specialized Foraging in a Presumed Toxin-Free and Diet-Generalized Species.","authors":"Jeffrey L Coleman, Steven Y Wang, Paul E Marek, Colin R Morrison, Brian E Sedio, David C Cannatella","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01584-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01584-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In poison frogs (Dendrobatidae), conspicuous colors have evolved repeatedly in tandem with high numbers and quantities of skin toxins (alkaloids). Here, we focus on an inconspicuously-colored species-Silverstoneia flotator-which has long been deemed toxin-free and thought to forage opportunistically on mites and ants. Both assumptions have received some empirical support, but there is also evidence that predators avoid S. flotator. In a Panamanian S. flotator population, we sampled invertebrates in frog diets and the surrounding environment (using Berlese and pitfall traps) and screened for skin, dietary, and environmental alkaloids using untargeted metabolomics. We found that while the frogs are opportunistic consumers of mites and ants, they display preferences at finer taxonomic scales (for symphypleonan springtails and Pheidole ants). We also annotated 64 skin compounds as alkaloids, 38 of which were present in the environment. One alkaloid present in the skin and environment is likely the highly potent epibatidine. While the average biosynthetic (class and superclass) diversity of alkaloids in a dorsal skin sample is higher than that of a ventral skin and environmental-but not dietary-sample, environmental samples diverge more in their alkaloids' biosynthetic diversities than do dietary or skin samples. The frogs consume a consistent set of alkaloids, forage in a variable chemical space, and possess diverse dorsal skin alkaloids. They might use finer-scale diet specialization to modulate the types, quantities, and numbers of alkaloids they ingest. We encourage further examination of inconspicuously-colored taxa to better understand the ecological importance of diet-acquired toxins and specialized diets in these organisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neglected Microbes in Floral Nectar: Influence of Filamentous Fungi on Nectar Scent and Parasitoid Olfactory Responses.","authors":"Jay Darryl L Ermio, Ezio Peri, Salvatore Guarino, Patrizia Bella, Stefano Colazza, Bart Lievens, Michael Rostás, Antonino Cusumano","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01586-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01586-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Floral nectar is a sugar-rich resource which is ubiquitously inhabited by a wide array of microorganisms. Fermentation by nectar-inhabiting microbes can alter several nectar traits, including nectar scent, via changes in the blend of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although there is growing evidence on how yeasts and bacteria influence the foraging behavior of flower-visiting insects, the potential role of other microbial taxa that can colonize nectar has been largely neglected. In this study, we investigated how filamentous fungi isolated from the floral nectar of buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum, affect nectar scent and the olfactory responses of two co-occurring egg parasitoid species, Trissolcus basalis and Ooencyrtus telenomicida. Among nectar-feeding insects, adult parasitoids are common visitors of flowers as they depend on sugar-rich resources to satisfy their energetic and nutritional needs. In olfactometer assays, we found that nectar fermentation by two out of six fungal strains, namely Cladosporium sp. SAAF 22.2.11 and Cladosporium sp. SAAF 22.3.29, elicited a behavioral response in the egg parasitoid species when tested against non-fermented nectar. In particular, O. telenomicida displayed positive olfactory responses to both Cladosporium-fermented nectars, while T. basalis only responded positively to nectar fermented by Cladosporium sp. SAAF 22.2.11. Chemical investigations revealed significant differences in the VOC blends across all six fungus-fermented nectars, despite a partial overlap between the blends emitted by attractive versus non-attractive nectars. Altogether, these findings highlight previously unexplored interactions between flower-visiting insects and flower-associated microbes, broadening our understanding beyond the well-studied influences of yeasts and bacteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"51 2","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11903542/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}