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Calling Behavior and Rhythms of Sex Pheromone Production in the Black Cutworm Moth in China

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Abstract

The hourly and daily variation of calling behavior and sex pheromone production by the female black cutworm moth, Agrotis ypsilon (Rottemberg), were investigated. Both calling behavior and titers of five sex pheromone components showed distinct diel rhythms, and peak periods of calling and pheromone titer were synchronous. Females began to call on the first night after eclosion and called mainly during the second half of the scotophase. The percentage of females calling increased in 1 to 3-d-old females and decreased in 3 to 7-d-old females. Females advanced their calling time with increasing age (1 to 7 d). GC-MS analysis of hexane extracts of pheromone glands revealed that the titers of the five sex pheromone components were very low on the first night after eclosion, but increased sharply and peaked on the third night. Titers decreased greatly with increasing age (3 to 7 d), but from the onset of the scotophase to 4.5 h into scotophase, titers remained invariate. However, from 4.5 to 7 h, pheromone titers, especially that of the primary component Z7-12:Ac, increased sharply and peaked. After the peak, the titers decreased greatly at 8 h, and thereafter decreased gradually to the level before 4.5 h. The quantity of each component almost reached zero after lights-on.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Steven J. Seybold, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Davis, California, for a critical review of an earlier version of the manuscript. This research was supported by the Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou (No. 20062048), China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant Diseases and Pest Management in Mountain Agriculture of Guizhou Province, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Yu-yong Xiang, Mao-fa Yang & Zi-zhong Li

  2. Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou, 239012, Anhui, China

    Yu-yong Xiang

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  1. Yu-yong Xiang
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  2. Mao-fa Yang
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  3. Zi-zhong Li
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Correspondence to Mao-fa Yang.

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Xiang, Yy., Yang, Mf. & Li, Zz. Calling Behavior and Rhythms of Sex Pheromone Production in the Black Cutworm Moth in China. J Insect Behav 23, 35–44 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-009-9193-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-009-9193-0

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