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A key volatile infochemical that elicits a strong olfactory response of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus, an important natural enemy of the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae

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Abstract

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) emitted from lima bean leaves infested with the two-spotted spider mites Tetranychus urticae strongly attract the predatory mites Neoseiulus californicus. Among these HIPVs, methyl salicylate and linalool can attract the predators. Three green-leaf volatiles (GLVs) of (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and (E)-2-hexenal, found in the odor blends from T. urticae-infested leaves and physically damaged leaves, can also attract the predators. To search for a strong predator attractant, the olfactory responses of N. californicus to each synthetic compound or their combinations were investigated in a Y-tube olfactometer. When presented a choice between a mixture of the five compounds (i.e. the two HIPVs and the three GLVs) and T. urticae-infested leaves, N. californicus did not discriminate between these odor sources. The same trend was observed when either a mixture of the two HIPVs or methyl salicylate vs. T. urticae-infested leaves were compared. In contrast, the predators preferred T. urticae-infested leaves to linalool, each of the three GLVs, or a mixture of the three GLVs. These results indicated that methyl salicylate is a strong predator attractant, and its potential attractiveness almost equaled that of the blend of HIPVs from T. urticae-infested leaves.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Kimiko Kanbe and Yumiko Togashi for rearing the mites and plants. This research was supported partly by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [Kakenhi (B): No. 19380188].

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  1. National Agricultural Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8666, Japan

    Takeshi Shimoda

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Shimoda, T. A key volatile infochemical that elicits a strong olfactory response of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus, an important natural enemy of the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae . Exp Appl Acarol 50, 9–22 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-009-9275-x

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