Allan S A, Phillips J S, Sonenshine D E
J Med Entomol. 1989 Nov;26(6):539-46. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/26.6.539.
The chemical basis for the ability of fed males of Dermacentor variabilis (Say) and D. andersoni (Stiles) to differentiate conspecific and heterospecific females was investigated using a neutered female bioassay. Male D. variabilis responded strongly in a dose-response manner to increasing concentrations of stearic and palmitic acids and an extract of the anterior reproductive tract (ART) of fed D. variabilis females. Mating responses were greatest at 1 microgram of fatty acid and 1 female equivalent (FE) of ART extract. D. variabilis males also responded strongly to D. variabilis females treated with a conspecific ART extract and a mixture of fatty acids simulating the extract; responses were moderate to D. andersoni females treated with the same extract or fatty acid mixture. They also responded moderately to conspecific females treated with D. andersoni extract. Male D. andersoni displayed moderate increases in mating behavior over a range of concentrations of stearic and palmitic acids and conspecific ART extract. D. andersoni males mated only with D. andersoni females treated with a conspecific extract or a mixture of fatty acids simulating the extract. Mating by D. andersoni did not occur in response to D. variabilis females treated with D. andersoni or D. variabilis ART extracts. Stearic acid alone or in combination with 20-hydroxyecdysone, oleic, or myristic acid did not account for the specificity of response of either species. D. andersoni males were much less responsive to fatty acids, alone or in mixtures, than D. variabilis males. These findings indicate that fatty acids are important in mate recognition by D. variabilis, but explain only part of that by D. andersoni. The possibility is raised that another compound is required for mate recognition by D. andersoni.
利用绝育雌性生物测定法，研究了变异革蜱（Say）和安氏革蜱（Stiles）饱腹雄性个体区分同种和异种雌性个体能力的化学基础。变异革蜱雄性个体对硬脂酸和棕榈酸浓度增加以及饱腹变异革蜱雌性个体的前生殖道提取物呈现出强烈的剂量反应。在1微克脂肪酸和1雌性当量（FE）的生殖道提取物时，交配反应最为强烈。变异革蜱雄性个体对用同种生殖道提取物和模拟提取物的脂肪酸混合物处理的变异革蜱雌性个体也有强烈反应；对用相同提取物或脂肪酸混合物处理的安氏革蜱雌性个体反应中等。它们对用安氏革蜱提取物处理的同种雌性个体也有中等反应。安氏革蜱雄性个体在硬脂酸、棕榈酸和同种生殖道提取物的一系列浓度范围内，交配行为有适度增加。安氏革蜱雄性个体只与用同种提取物或模拟提取物的脂肪酸混合物处理的安氏革蜱雌性个体交配。用安氏革蜱或变异革蜱生殖道提取物处理的变异革蜱雌性个体不会引发安氏革蜱的交配行为。单独的硬脂酸或与20-羟基蜕皮酮、油酸或肉豆蔻酸组合，都不能解释任何一个物种反应的特异性。单独或混合使用时，安氏革蜱雄性个体对脂肪酸的反应比变异革蜱雄性个体弱得多。这些发现表明，脂肪酸在变异革蜱的配偶识别中很重要，但只能解释安氏革蜱配偶识别的部分原因。由此提出一种可能性，即安氏革蜱进行配偶识别还需要另一种化合物。
