Abstract
Castniid moths (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) display a butterfly-like reproductive behavior, i.e., they use visual stimuli for mate location and females have apparently lost their pheromone glands in an evolutionary context. In this paper we report for the first time the identification of three new compounds, namely n-octadecyl acetate, (Z)-9-octadecenyl acetate and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienyl acetate, in males of the Castniid Palm Borer, Paysandisia archon, which could be involved in its short-range courtship behavior, and also shed light on recent controversies on the sexual behavior of the species. The compounds are produced in a ring-shaped gland of the male terminalia and have occasionally been detected in very minor amounts (ng) in ovipositor extracts of females, but only while mating or just after copulation. We also report that males use the already known (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol to mark their territory by rubbing their midlegs against the upper side of nearby leaves, especially palm leaves. This compound, produced in large amounts, is mostly concentrated in the midleg basitarsi and its maximum production is detected on the sexually mature 1-day-old specimens. In addition, analysis of male wings extracts confirms the presence of Z,E and E,E-farnesals, which are mostly produced in the median band of hindwings of 48–53 h-old insects. The biological significance of farnesals in this species is unknown. Our results point out that the chemical communication of P. archon relies mostly on males, which appear to bear all chemical burden in this respect.
Highlights
Intraspecific chemical communication in insects relies on the release of pheromones that play a crucial role in many behavioral and physiological responses [1]
A number of facts combined have led to the assumption that P. archon females have apparently lost their pheromone gland in an evolutionary context [4]
These facts include: (1) the territorial behavior of males; (2) the absence of compounds with pheromone-like activity in female ovipositors and other female parts [13, 20]; (3) P. archon females never adopt a typical calling position with the ovipositor extruded for a long period of time [4, 12]; (4) clubbed antennae with reduced sensillar area and no apparent sexual dimorphism [13, 21]; and (5) no evidence of pheromone gland tissues underneath the 8–9 intersegmental cuticle of the P. archon ovipositor [12, 13]
Summary
Intraspecific chemical communication in insects relies on the release of pheromones that play a crucial role in many behavioral and physiological responses [1]. As butterfly females, appear to have lost their abdominal glands, and they do not release longrange pheromones to attract conspecific males This was initially hypothesized by Sarto i Monteys and Aguilar [14] and later evidenced in studies carried out on the Castniid Palm Borer Paysandisia archon (Burmeister) [12, 13], recently introduced to Europe from South America. Against this evidence, Delle-Vedove et al (2014) [15] claimed that sexually mature P. archon females release a pheromone to attract males in a moth-butterfly hybrid strategy implying both chemical and visual clues. To clarify this point and to shed light on its sexual behavior, we present our latest findings on the chemical communication of this insect, which could be useful for the development of a strategy to control this invasive species
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