MONITORING POTENTIAL SEX PHEROMONE COMPONENTS OF LYGOCORISPABULINUS (HETEROPTERA: MIRIDAE).
Astrid T. Groot 1, Erna van der Wal2, RadboutTimmer2, J. Hans Visser, Falko P. Drijfhout3, GerritP. Lelyveld3, Teris A. Van Beek3
1DLO-Research Institute for Plant Protection, P.O. Box 9060,6700 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands.
2Wageningen Agricultural University, Dept. Entomology, TheNetherlands.
3Wageningen Agricultural University, Dept. Organic Chemistry,The Netherlands.
In order to identify its sex pheromone we studied courtship behaviourand EAG-responses of the green capsid bug L. pabulinus, a seriouspest in fruit orchards in North-Western Europe. Males are attracted tovirgin females in the field and windtunnel bioassays. At close range andbefore mating, males showed a specific ‘arousal’ behaviour, a horizontalvibration of the abdomen. We used this vibration behaviour as a bioassay, testing potential sex pheromone attractants, selected from sex pheromonecomponents known to be present in other Heteropterans. Firstly, EAG’s ofmale and female antennae were recorded in response to these components.The male antennae responded significantly more to propionates, butyratesand pentanoates than to acetates and hexanoates. The hexyl-, (E)-2-hexenyl-,and heptyl esters showed the strongest responses. Secondly, these componentswere offered to males. Some of the components elicited the ‘arousal’ vibrationbehaviour.