Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
J Chem Ecol. 2010 Apr;36(4):388-95. doi: 10.1007/s10886-010-9771-9. Epub 2010 Mar 28.
The tea weevil, Myllocerinus aurolineatus (Voss) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a leaf-feeding pest of Camellia sinensis (O.Ktze.) with aggregative behaviors that can seriously reduce tea yield and quality. Although herbivore-induced host plant volatiles have been shown to attract conspecific individuals of some beetle pests, especially members of the Chrysomelidae family, little is known about the volatiles emitted from tea plants infested by M. aurolineatus adults and their roles in mediating interactions between conspecifics. The results of behavioral bioassays revealed that volatile compounds emitted from tea plants infested by M. aurolineatus were attractive to conspecific weevils. Volatile analyses showed that infestations dramatically increased the emission of volatiles, (Z)-3-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-beta-ocimene, linalool, phenylethyl alcohol, benzyl nitrile, indole, (E, E)-alpha-farnesene, (E)-nerolidol, and 31 other compounds. Among the induced volatiles, 12 chemicals, including gamma-terpinene, benzyl alcohol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, myrcene, benzaldehyde, (Z)-3-hexenal, and (E, E)-alpha-farnesene, elicited antennal responses from both sexes of the herbivore, whereas (E)-beta-ocimene elicited antennal responses only from males. Using a Y-tube olfactometer, we found that six of the 13 chemicals, gamma-terpinene, benzyl alcohol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, myrcene, benzaldehyde, and (Z)-3-hexenal, were attractive to both males and females; two chemicals, (E/Z)-beta-ocimene and (E, E)-alpha-farnesene, were attractive only to males; and four chemicals, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, phenylethyl alcohol, linalool, and (Z)-3-hexenol, were attractive only to females. The findings provide new insights into the interactions between tea plants and their herbivores, and may help scientists develop new strategies for controlling the herbivore.
茶象甲，Myllocerinus aurolineatus（Voss）（鞘翅目：象甲科），是一种以茶树叶片为食的害虫，具有聚集行为，会严重降低茶叶的产量和质量。虽然已证明取食诱导的植物挥发物可以吸引一些甲虫害虫的同种个体，尤其是某些叶甲科成员，但对于茶树受茶象甲成虫侵害后释放的挥发物及其在同种个体间相互作用中的作用知之甚少。行为生物测定的结果表明，茶树受茶象甲侵害后释放的挥发物对同种象甲具有吸引力。挥发物分析表明，受侵害会显著增加挥发物的排放，包括（Z）-3-己烯醛、（Z）-3-己烯醇、（E）-β-罗勒烯、芳樟醇、苯乙醇、苯乙腈、吲哚、（E，E）-法呢烯、（E）-橙花叔醇和 31 种其他化合物。在诱导的挥发物中，包括γ-松油烯、苯甲醇、（Z）-3-己烯基乙酸酯、桧烯、苯甲醛、（Z）-3-己烯醛和（E，E）-法呢烯在内的 12 种化学物质都能引起雌雄两性象甲的触角反应，而（E）-β-罗勒烯仅引起雄性象甲的触角反应。在 Y 型嗅觉仪中，我们发现 13 种化学物质中的 6 种，包括γ-松油烯、苯甲醇、（Z）-3-己烯基乙酸酯、桧烯、苯甲醛和（Z）-3-己烯醛，对雌雄两性象甲都有吸引力；两种化学物质（E/Z）-β-罗勒烯和（E，E）-法呢烯仅对雄性象甲有吸引力；4 种化学物质，（E）-4,8-二甲基-1,3,7-壬三烯、苯乙醇、芳樟醇和（Z）-3-己烯醇，仅对雌性象甲有吸引力。这些发现为茶树与其食草动物之间的相互作用提供了新的见解，并可能有助于科学家开发控制食草动物的新策略。
