Single cell responses of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea males to the sex attractant pheromone of conspecific females are enhanced by a certain group of host-plant volatiles, the "green leaf volatiles". Inclusion of either (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol or Linalool to a key synthetic pheromone, (Z)-11-hecadecenal, stimulus cartridge significantly increased the firing rate of the receptor neurons compared with the response to pheromone alone. The green leaf volatiles had no effect on the receptor neurons when presented alone. Since female adults of moths release their sex pheromones while perched upon the leaves of their host-plants, the significant influence of host plant volatiles to the host seeking behaviors of male moths has previously been overlooked, and is discussed.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm)
Keywords: Pheromone synergists, host-plant volatiles
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA