Groba H F, Martínez G, Rossini C, González A
Laboratorio de Ecología Química, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Av. Gral. Flores 2124, 11800, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Laboratorio de Entomología, Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Neotrop Entomol. 2019 Feb;48(1):18-24. doi: 10.1007/s13744-018-0586-7. Epub 2018 Feb 7.
The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), is an exotic emerging pest in Eucalyptus commercial forests in South America, Africa, and southern Europe. Information on the chemical communication system and reproductive ecology of this insect is scant, and it may be relevant for designing management strategies for eucalypt plantations. Males emit large amounts of 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate, which attracts conspecific adult males but not females. To learn more about the biological function of this putative male-produced pheromone, we quantified this compound in volatile emissions collected from males, females, and couples, in three 4-h collecting periods during the morning, afternoon, and night of a single 24-h cycle. Our results showed that virgin males emit 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate in a diel time pattern, with an almost sevenfold difference between the afternoon emission peak compared to morning or night hours. In addition, we show that in the presence of females, males emit the compound in the same amounts throughout the photocycle. While a definite function cannot yet be attributed to the emission of 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate by T. peregrinus males, our findings point to an intraspecific function, possibly one related to male-male competition.
青铜木虱（Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé，半翅目：木虱科）是南美洲、非洲和南欧桉树人工林中一种新出现的外来害虫。关于这种昆虫化学通讯系统和繁殖生态学的信息很少，而这可能与设计桉树种植园的管理策略有关。雄性会释放大量的丁酸3-甲基-2-丁烯酯，它能吸引同种成年雄性，但不能吸引雌性。为了更多地了解这种假定的雄性产生的信息素的生物学功能，我们在一个24小时周期的上午、下午和晚上的三个4小时收集时间段内，对从雄性、雌性和雌雄配对个体收集的挥发性排放物中的这种化合物进行了定量。我们的结果表明，未交配的雄性以昼夜时间模式释放丁酸3-甲基-2-丁烯酯，下午的排放峰值与上午或夜间相比几乎有七倍的差异。此外，我们还表明，在有雌性存在的情况下，雄性在整个光照周期内以相同的量释放这种化合物。虽然目前还不能确定青铜木虱雄性释放丁酸3-甲基-2-丁烯酯的具体功能，但我们的研究结果表明其具有种内功能，可能与雄雄竞争有关。
