Abstract
In the study of the chemical communication of adults of the Melolonthidae family, bacteria have been observed in the epithelium of the genital chamber; possibly, bacteria are involved in the production of sex attractants in their hosts. Therefore, it is important to identify the volatile organic compounds from bacteria (VOCsB) released by these microorganisms and study the biological activity stimulated by VOBCs in adults of Melolonthidae. In this study, bacteria were isolated from the genital chamber of Cyclocephala lunulata and Cyclocephala barrerai, from which VOCsB were extracted using static headspace solid-phase microextraction (SHS-SPME) and dynamic headspace Super Q solid-phase extraction (DHS-SPE) and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The effect of VOCsB on the hosts and conspecifics was evaluated utilizing an olfactometer and electroantennography (EAG). Two species of Enterobacteria were isolated from the genital chamber of each female species, and VOCsB derived from sulfur-containing compounds, alcohols, esters, and fatty acids were identified. An attraction response was observed in olfactometry studies, and antennal responses to VOCsB were confirmed in EAG bioassays. With these results, new perspectives on the relationship between these beetles and their bacteria emerge, in addition to establishing a basis for management programs in the future.
Highlights
Several genera of the Melolonthidae family as phytophages are pests of various crops [1,2]; among these is the genus Cyclocephala [3], which has been the less-studied of the family
Bacteria Isolated from the Genital Chamber of Cyclocephala
Two culturable bacterial strains were isolated from the genital chamber of C. lunulata that were identified as the Klebsiella sp. (GenBank accession number MT239565) and M. morganii (GenBank accession number MT239566)
Summary
Several genera of the Melolonthidae family as phytophages are pests of various crops [1,2]; among these is the genus Cyclocephala [3], which has been the less-studied of the family. Bacteria have been observed in the reproductive system of females of Melolonthidae, in the accessory glands and the genital chamber-structures associated with sex pheromones production [10,11,12,13,14] Based on this evidence, it has been suggested that bacteria participate in the production of these chemicals, such as in the case of Morganella morganii found in the accessory glands of female individuals of melolonthid Costelytra zealandica beetles. It has been suggested that bacteria participate in the production of these chemicals, such as in the case of Morganella morganii found in the accessory glands of female individuals of melolonthid Costelytra zealandica beetles These microorganisms produce volatile organic compounds from bacteria (VOCsB) such as phenol, which has been reported as a component of the sex pheromone of C. zealandica [15,16]. These relationships have not been studied in Cyclocephala (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Melolonthidae) [3]
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