Mate location in the green capsid bug, Lygocoris pabulinus

• Published in: Entomologia experimentalis et applicata Vol. 106; no. 2; pp. 73 - 77
• Main Authors: Drijfhout, Falko P., Groot, Astrid T., Van Beek, Teris A., Visser, J. Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing, Ltd 01-02-2003; Blackwell
• Subjects: (Z)-7-pentacosene; alkenes (Z)-9-pentacosene; Animal ethology; attraction; behavior; biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; chemical communication; chemical ecology; copulation; courtship; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GC-EAD; heteroptera; hydrocarbons; Lygocoris pabulinus; mate location behavior; Miridae; pollination; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; sex pheromone; Mating call; Sex pheromone; Chemical analysis; Vibration; hydrocarbons; Insecta; (Z)-7-pentacosene; Sexual behavior; chemical communication; mate location behavior; Heteroptera; Miridae; Lygocoris pabulinus; attraction; alkenes (Z)-9-pentacosene; Arthropoda; Sex partner; Female; GC-EAD; Invertebrata; Localization; Semiochemicals
• ISSN: 0013-8703; 1570-7458
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1570-7458.2003.00016.x

Headspace extracts from female Lygocoris pabulinus (L.) (Heteroptera: Miridae) as well as female leg extracts attracted male L. pabulinus in Y‐track olfactometer bioassays. In contrast, only female leg extracts were active in the vibration bioassay. Male extracts had no activity at all in either bioassay. When the female leg extract was analysed by coupled gas chromatography‐electroantennography (Z)‐9‐pentacosene and (Z)‐7‐pentacosene were EAD‐active. (Z)‐9‐Pentacosene and sometimes (Z)‐7‐pentacosene were also observed in female headspace extracts. EAG responses could be obtained for (Z)‐9‐pentacosene. A mixture of (Z)‐9‐pentacosene and (Z)‐7‐pentacosene in the ratio 5 : 1 elicited vibration behaviour in males. The results indicate that these alkenes are important cues for male L. pabulinus in mate location behaviour.