Chemoecology最新文献

{"title":"Mating strategy does not affect the diversification of abdominal chemicals in Heliconiini butterflies","authors":"Bruna Cama,&nbsp;Stephanie Ehlers,&nbsp;Harriet O’Roarty,&nbsp;Daiane Szczerbowski,&nbsp;Nicola Nadeau,&nbsp;Chris D. Jiggins,&nbsp;Stefan Schulz,&nbsp;W. Owen McMillan,&nbsp;Jane Thomas-Oates,&nbsp;Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra","doi":"10.1007/s00049-025-00417-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-025-00417-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Antiaphrodisiacs are chemical bouquets physically delivered from male to female individuals upon copulation which discourage further mating and reduce sperm competition by rendering the female less attractive. Since antiaphrodisiacs may not offer an honest signal of female receptivity, in polyandrous species they may undergo faster diversification resulting from sexual conflict. The Heliconiini tribe of butterflies includes a polyandrous (free-mating) and a monandrous (pupal-mating) clade, both known to produce diverse antiaphrodisiac mixtures as part of their abdominal blends. Using multivariate phylogenetic comparative methods, we analyzed the genital blends of 36 Heliconiini species to test the hypothesis that blend diversity results from male-male competition in polyandry. We found no evidence for shifts in blend diversification rate corresponding to changes in mating strategy, implying male-male competition may have a weaker effect on pheromone diversification in this group than previously thought. The genital blends of most species are dominated by one of four highly volatile compounds; (<i>E</i>)-β-ocimene, octen-3-one, sulcatone and 4-hydroxycyclopent-2-en-1-one. Based on the function of (<i>E</i>)-β-ocimene as the behaviourally active antiaphrodisiac in <i>H. melpomene,</i> we propose a similar role in other species for the other volatiles. We test this hypothesis by investigating 4-hydroxycyclopent-2-en-1-one occurrence in <i>Heliconius sara.</i> While we detect no sex-based differences on its presence, we find the compound is undetectable when larvae are not fed their preferred host plant, providing an intriguing potential link between host plant and reproductive cues. This in turn shows that captive-bred samples do not always provide realistic results and this awareness is important for future experiments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 2","pages":"73 - 87"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12125040/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197884","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":"Chemical plasticity and volatile organic compound diversity in Anthemis cotula L.: variations across growth cycles, plant organs, and elevations","authors":"Showkat Nissar,&nbsp;Zafar A. Reshi,&nbsp;Sagar Pandit,&nbsp;Mudasir Abdullah Parray","doi":"10.1007/s00049-025-00419-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-025-00419-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the volatile organic compound (VOC) diversity of <i>Anthemis cotula</i> L., an European native species that has adapted to grow as both summer and winter annual in the Kashmir Himalaya, and explores whether differences in VOC profiles between these growth forms could shed light on their potential role in the plant’s invasiveness and prolific spread in the region. This study identifies 167 VOCs, with winter annuals exhibiting significantly greater VOC diversity (143) compared to summer annuals (88), as also confirmed by significantly higher Shannon and Simpson diversity indices in winter annuals (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). Winter annuals produced 79 unique VOCs, while summer annuals had 24, with plants of both growth cycles sharing 64 compounds. Terpenes, particularly sesquiterpenes, and monoterpenes, dominated in both growth cycles, but winter annuals showed higher diversity, including a higher abundance of esters (34 vs. 21). VOC profiles also varied by plant part: flowers were rich in esters, while roots and leaves had more terpenes. Elevation had a moderate impact on VOC composition, with the greatest variability observed at higher elevations (2350 masl). Functional Hill diversity was significantly higher in winter annuals (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001), suggesting a broader biosynthetic diversity. Redundancy analysis revealed that VOC distribution in plant parts was influenced by environmental variables, with altitude showing a stronger correlation in roots. Molecular network analysis showed VOC segregation in distinct clusters, highlighting the biosynthetic pathway complexity and intricate relationships between chemical compounds of different organs in both growth forms. These findings provide critical insights into the potential role of VOC diversity in the invasiveness of <i>A. cotula</i>, particularly its winter annuals in the Kashmir Himalayan region with potential implications for its management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 2","pages":"97 - 111"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142759","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":"The applicability of a passive hole-board olfactometer in the discrimination of the presence of drugs in fecal matter for dung beetles","authors":"Agustina Escudero,&nbsp;Gonzalo Suárez Veirano,&nbsp;Patricia González-Vainer","doi":"10.1007/s00049-025-00418-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-025-00418-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Dung beetles are of great importance in livestock ecosystems. The utilization of macrocyclic lactones to control cattle parasites has a detrimental effect on the community of dung invertebrates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the attraction of <i>Onthophagus hircus</i> to ivermectin-fortified fecal matter (IFM) under laboratory conditions. Dung beetles primarily detect food through olfaction. To assess odor discrimination behavior, a passive hole-board olfactometer (HBO) was designed. The efficacy of the design was tested through the execution of two control experiments, which measured the attraction (both group and individual) of <i>O. hircus</i> to control fecal matter (CFM) or soil (S). The third experiment was conducted to evaluate individual attraction to IFM. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative analyses, and the selection rate was estimated. In both the individual and group control experiences, active individuals were significantly attracted to CFM (46% and 74%, respectively) (p &lt; 0.05 in both cases). Attraction percentages in experiment 3 were: 44% for IFM, 38% for CFM, and 19% for S (p &lt; 0.05). Male and female beetles showed a slight tendency to be attracted to IFM but did not display a significant preference between IFM and CFM (p &gt; 0.05). This study confirmed that an HBO design is a valid approach for testing odor discrimination and assessing the attraction of <i>O. hircus</i> to bovine feces. However, this species demonstrated an inability to differentiate between ivermectin-contaminated and untreated faeces.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 2","pages":"89 - 96"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145144234","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":"Odorant binding protein as a management target for Ceratitis capitata: a window of opportunities for in vivo/in silico integration","authors":"Ramiro P. Guimarães,&nbsp;Vanessa C. Santos,&nbsp;Beatriz A. G. Paranhos,&nbsp;Nathaly C. Aquino,&nbsp;Ruth R. Nascimento,&nbsp;Edilson B. Alencar-Filho","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00416-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00416-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Ceratitis capitata,</i> known as Mediterranean fruit fly, represents one of the main problems to the agricultural production, due the ability to infest a wide variety of fruits, which makes it one of the most worrying pests globally. The infestation of host fruits by the insect compromises their quality and appearance, causing losses to their commercialization and consumption. In order to minimize this problem, fruit growers have adopted the indiscriminate use of conventional insecticides that raise environmental and public health concerns, in addition to promoting resistance in insects. Alternatively, semiochemicals have been explored as a management tool, attracting males and females into traps or promoting repellency in exposed fruits. In this context, in silico approaches, as Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics and the Virtual Screening procedures, offer opportunities to identify new molecular entities as potential ligands to Odorant Binding Proteins (OBP), that are involved in olfactory communication of <i>C. capitata</i>. In this review, we present a collection of data including the chemistry of olfactory communication of <i>C. capitata</i> and some computational tools that can be used in these studies, emphasizing their impact on the behavior of this and other associated insects. We also address theoretical ADME-Tox parameters as initial evaluation criteria to ensure human safety in the environmental applications, as well as the importance of molecular synergism for the effective management of the medfly.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 2","pages":"47 - 72"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145141890","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":"Salicylic acid provides resistance to cadmium toxicity and drought stress in Salix matsudana Koidz.","authors":"Xuejie Li,&nbsp;Long Guo,&nbsp;Tao Sun,&nbsp;Kaiyuan Yu,&nbsp;Jiaxin Zhang,&nbsp;Yanan Ruan","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00415-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00415-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cadmium (Cd) toxicity and drought stress are cumulatively disruptive to physiological processes in plants. Salicylic acid (SA) has modulatory roles in osmotic balance in plants. Proline, can act as a compatible solute in osmotic adjustment, elevate antioxidative defense system, which improve adversity tolerance in plants. However, how SA regulates proline metabolism under Cd and drought stresses to improve plant tolerance remains largely unknown. To uncover the alleviation mechanism of SA on <i>Salix matsudana</i> Koidz. seedings to Cd and drought stresses, the non-enzymatic/enzymatic antioxidants, proline metabolism, and related enzyme genes were assayed in <i>S. matsudana</i>. This was done under application of Cd (50 µmol·L^− 1) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) (at concentrations of 5% (w/v)) to induce drought stress in 1/4 Hoagland solution with the application of SA (50 µmol·L^− 1). The results showed that Cd and drought stresses triggered over-accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and significantly inhibited the growth traits of <i>S. matsudana</i> seedings. Additionally, the combined Cd and drought stresses caused inhibition in root length and plant height. However, SA increased proline accumulation by increasing the activities of ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) and inhibiting the activity of proline dehydrogenase (ProDH), thereby promoting the generation of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AsA), and the activities of antioxidative enzymes while also reducing oxidative stress and restoring the growth parameters in Cd and drought-treated <i>S. matsudana</i>. Among the non-enzymatic/enzymatic antioxidative systems, GSH plays a key role in the scavenging of ROS. Accordingly, proline has a vital multifunctional role in exogenous SA-induced Cd and drought stress tolerance.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 1","pages":"29 - 46"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00049-024-00415-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446413","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":"Optimization of culturing conditions for leafcutter ant associated, antimicrobial producing Pseudonocardia by adding ants´ cuticular hydrocarbons","authors":"Johannes-Paul Fladerer-Grollitsch,&nbsp;Juliana Fitzek,&nbsp;Kristina M. Sefc,&nbsp;Franz Bucar","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00414-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00414-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of cultivation parameters on the growth of leafcutter ant associated actinomycete <i>Pseudonocardia sp</i>. These bacteria live in a very specialized symbiosis with the leafcutter ant <i>Acromyrmex octospinosus</i> and fungi of the genus <i>Leucoagaricus</i>. <i>Pseudonocardia</i> are known to produce antibiotics but are very hard to grow as a result of the complexity of their symbiosis. The bacteria were grown on yeast-malt-extract agar and the influence of pH, temperature conditions and the addition of chitin and a cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) solution specific to leafcutter ants on the growth of <i>Pseudonocardia</i> and other bacteria inhabiting the leafcutter ants´ surface was tested. The best growth rate of <i>Pseudonocardia</i> was achieved by cultivation at 28 °C in a medium with pH 7 supplemented with chitin and CHC solution. Additionally, these conditions inhibited the growth of other competitive bacteria. This is the first report on the optimization of growth media for leafcutter ant associated <i>Pseudonocardia</i> adjusted to the conditions found on the ants´ cuticle.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 1","pages":"21 - 28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00049-024-00414-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446556","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":"We are not the same: a chemical heterogeneity between workers in the Yellow-legged hornet","authors":"Mélissa Haouzi,&nbsp;Florian Bastin,&nbsp;Marie-Charlotte Cheutin,&nbsp;Christophe Lucas,&nbsp;Elfie Perdereau,&nbsp;Eric Darrouzet","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00413-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00413-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Social organisation of eusocial insects requires efficient communication among conspecifics, involving various signals. Among them, Cuticular Hydrocarbons Compounds are used like chemical signals for recognition processes. These semiochemical compounds, which can vary qualitatively and quantitatively, form an individual chemical signature carrying identity of each congeners which contribute to the social cohesion of the colony members. In this study, we analysed the chemical signature of workers of the eusocial and invasive Vespidae species, the Yellow-legged hornet, <i>Vespa velutina nigrithorax.</i> The chemical communication system between hornets’ workers is relatively unknown and their social organisation poorly documented. However, a strong chemical heterogeneity between castes and colonies have been previously identified in the Yellow-legged hornet, suggesting a possible chemical diversity between workers. Our results showed a strong chemical heterogeneity mainly explained by their colonial origin, as previously described, but also by their behaviour at a given time. In this study, four behaviours have been reported in the field and could be assigned to a workers’ sub-caste: animal foragers, builders, defenders and material foragers. A chemical separation of individuals into two groups have been observed, where animal foragers exhibit a clear separation of their chemical profiles compared to their counterparts. Also, animal foragers had more alkenes and fewer branched alkanes than the other workers. This exploratory study demonstrates that workers of this invasive hornet species present different cuticular profiles, probably used in both inter and intra-specific recognition phenomena. This is therefore a first step towards understanding the chemical communication involved in the social organisation of hornet workers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 1","pages":"11 - 20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00049-024-00413-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446569","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":"Estimating surface tension of moth sex pheromones","authors":"Alexandra Tiryaeva,&nbsp;Miguel Piñeirua,&nbsp;Daniel Guyot,&nbsp;Gabriel Amselem,&nbsp;Sylvain Bourrigaud,&nbsp;Jérôme Casas","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00412-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00412-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The surface tension of chemical compounds is a crucial parameter in many interfacial processes of importance in sexual communication through odorants. To date, it has not been measured for any insect sex pheromone, including those from worldwide pests or well-studied organisms. Instead, it can be retrieved from dedicated black-box software, which delivers poorly described theoretical calculations and lacks clarity regarding error values. Using the low variability in the chemical structures of the sex pheromones from several moth species as an asset to avoid compounding effects, we estimated their surface tension using the pendant drop method, a well-known method in soft matter chemistry and physics yet seldom used by biologists despite being well suited for small samples. We examined 12 compounds: Z8-12:OH, E7Z9-12:Ac, E8E10-12:Ac, Z8-12:Ac, E8-12:Ac, E10Z12-16:Ald, E10Z12-16:OH, Z11-16:Ald, E3Z8Z11-14:Ac, Z9-14:Ac, Y11Z13-16:Ac, Z11-16:Ac. The species associated with these pheromones include the pests <i>Lobesia botrana, Cydia splendana, Grapholita molesta, Bombyx mori, Cydolima perspectalis, Tuta absoluta, Spodoptera frugiperda, Thaumetopoea pityocampa and Mamestra brassicae.</i> The measured values, ranging from 26 to 31 mN/m, are in accordance with the stated values in the available ACD/ChemSketch software and with our own theoretical predictions based on their densities and Parachor calculations, known as Macleod’s formula.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"35 1","pages":"1 - 9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00049-024-00412-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446418","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":"Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in tiger moths: trends and knowledge gaps","authors":"Isabel Lopez-Cacacho,&nbsp;Ivone de Bem Oliveira,&nbsp;Amanda Markee,&nbsp;Nicolas J. Dowdy,&nbsp;Akito Y. Kawahara","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00411-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00411-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Insects and plants have been part of an evolutionary arms race that has led plants to produce toxins as defense and insects to sequester these chemical compounds. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary plant chemical metabolites, and some herbivorous insects have evolved biochemical mechanisms to tolerate, sequester, and use PAs against predators and parasitoids. Several tiger moth species (Erebidae: Arctiinae) have gone one step further by transferring PAs acquired during mating to their eggs or using them as precursors of sexual pheromones, thereby making PAs an essential element in sexual selection. Although tiger moths are well known to use PAs for defense, a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative systematic review of PA research on tiger moths has yet to be conducted. To identify areas of past research focus and future research potential, we analyzed 108 studies retrieved from an exhaustive search on the Web of Science. Through a scientometric analysis, we synthesized available literature, examining authors, journals, countries and keywords with the aim of providing researchers tools to navigate the current literature more effectively. Using a systematic review approach, we evaluated the frequency of moth species studied and host plant diet, along with their research topic, allowing us to identify major knowledge gaps. We show that the number of publications decreased after 2015, and most research has focused on a few moth species and research topics. Our results provide valuable insights that can help direct research efforts to further the development of knowledge about PAs in Arctiinae.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"34 4","pages":"163 - 173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142179805","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":"Cuticular hydrocarbons as host recognition cues in specialist and generalist endoparasitoids","authors":"Basu Dev Kafle,&nbsp;Anthony O. Adesemoye,&nbsp;Henry Y. Fadamiro","doi":"10.1007/s00049-024-00410-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00049-024-00410-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The chemical composition of cuticular hydrocarbons differs qualitatively and quantitatively among insect species. These differences convey species-specific information about host suitability to foraging parasitoids, enabling them to discriminate between the host and non-host species. Specialist parasitoids that parasitize fewer host species are predicted to use host-specific cues compared to generalists that have evolved to use common cues present in multiple potential host species. Here, we tested the above hypothesis by evaluating two parasitoids with varying levels of host specificity, <i>Microplitis croceipe</i>s (specialist) and <i>Cotesia marginive</i>ntris (generalist), for their responses to cuticular extracts of three caterpillar species, <i>Chloridea virescens</i>, <i>Helicoverpa zea</i>, and <i>Spodoptera exigua</i>. First, we compared the cuticular profiles of the three caterpillar species and found that <i>C. virescens</i> and <i>H. zea</i> were qualitatively similar in cuticular composition, whereas <i>S. exigua</i> differed qualitatively and quantitatively from the other two. In contact bioassays, both parasitoid species were behaviorally arrested by the host cuticular extracts, with specialist <i>M. croceipes</i> able to discriminate between the cuticular extracts of its host and non-host caterpillar species. Assessment with the coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) revealed qualitative and quantitative differences in parasitoids’ antennal responses to the components of cuticular extracts of host species, with <i>M. croceipes</i> showing greater antennal response than generalist <i>C. marginiventris</i>. The data implicated 13-methylhentriacontane as a probable host-specific kairomone used by specialist <i>M. croceipes</i>. These results suggest that specialist parasitoids like <i>M. croceipes</i> may exploit the differences in the composition of cuticular chemicals of caterpillars as cues for host recognition and discrimination.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":515,"journal":{"name":"Chemoecology","volume":"34 4","pages":"149 - 161"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141872653","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}