Electroantennogram and behavioral responses of Batocera horsfieldi (Coleoptera:Cerambycidae) to volatiles released from the Carya cathayensis in different damaged states

Abstract

To explore the volatiles from the Carya cathayensis, which affect the behavioral response of the brown mulberry longhorn beetle, Batocera horsfieldi, and to provide a theoretical basis for screening plant-originated attractants or repellents of this insect. In the C. cathayensis of Lin'an Yayuan Village, 3 C. cathayensis trees were vandamly selected from different damaged states[healthy (ck), as well as feeding, oviposition and boring damage by longicorn beetle]. The volatiles were collected by using dynamic headspace adsorption living plants, and those causing electrophysiological and behavioral responses in B. horsfieldi were identified by gas chromatography-electrophysiological antennal detecting system (GC-EAD) and Y-tube olfactometer. Results showed that the B. horsfieldi adults had significant electrophysiological responses to eight volatiles of C. cathayensis volatiles with different damaged states, including (1R)-(+)-alpha-pinene, g-terpinene, nonanal, α-terpineol, pentamethyl phenyl, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2, 6-dimethylnaphthalene and hexadecane. Female and male adults had the strongest electrophysiological responses to nonanal and α-terpineol followed. The olfactory reaction showed that g-terpinene had a significant attractivity to male adults of B. horsfieldi (P < 0.05). Also nonanal had an highly significant attractivity to female adults (P < 0.01) and a significant attractivity to male adults (P < 0.05). Meanwhlie, (1R)-(+)-alpha-pinene had an highly significant repellent activity to female adults (P < 0.01). In addition α-terpineol had a highly significant attractivity to female adults (P < 0.01), but a significant repellent activity to male adults (P < 0.05). These results indicate that α-terpineol and nonanal showed strong attractivity to female adults of B. horsfieldi, while (1R)-(+)-alpha-pinene showed good repellent activity, g-terpinene and nonanal showed strong attractivity to male adults, while α-terpineol showed good repellent activity.