Postgrado en Fitosanidad, Programa de Entomología y Acarología, Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Montecillo, Km 36.5 Carretera, Texcoco 56230, Mexico.
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Progreso Número 5, Barrio de Santa Catarina, Delegación Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04010, Mexico.
Molecules. 2021 May 12;26(10):2861. doi: 10.3390/molecules26102861.
The Annonaceae fruits weevil () causes high losses to the soursop production in Mexico. Damage occurs when larvae and adults feed on the fruits; however, there is limited research about control strategies against this pest. However, pheromones provide a high potential management scheme for this curculio. Thus, this research characterized the behavior and volatile production of in response to their feeding habits. Olfactometry assays established preference by weevils to volatiles produced by feeding males and soursop. The behavior observed suggests the presence of an aggregation pheromone and a kairomone. Subsequently, insect volatiles sampled by solid-phase microextraction and dynamic headspace detected a unique compound on feeding males increased especially when feeding. Feeding-starvation experiments showed an averaged fifteen-fold increase in the concentration of a monoterpenoid on males feeding on soursop, and a decrease of the release of this compound males stop feeding. GC-MS analysis of volatiles identified this compound as α-terpineol. Further olfactometry assays using α-terpineol and soursop, demonstrated that this combination is double attractive to Annonaceae weevils than only soursop volatiles. The results showed a complementation effect between α-terpineol and soursop volatiles. Thus, α-terpineol is the aggregation pheromone of , and its concentration is enhanced by host-plant volatiles.
番荔枝科果实象甲（）对墨西哥刺果番荔枝的生产造成了很高的损失。幼虫和成虫以果实为食时会造成损害；然而，针对这种害虫的控制策略研究有限。然而，信息素为这种象甲提供了一种高潜力的管理方案。因此，本研究通过研究对其取食习惯的反应来描述的行为和挥发物的产生。嗅觉测定法确定了象甲对雄性和刺果番荔枝产生的挥发性物质的偏好。观察到的行为表明存在聚集信息素和引诱信息素。随后，通过固相微萃取和动态顶空法采集昆虫挥发物，在雄性取食时检测到一种独特的化合物增加，尤其是在取食时。取食-饥饿实验表明，雄性取食刺果番荔枝时，单萜类化合物的浓度平均增加了十五倍，而当雄性停止取食时，这种化合物的释放减少。挥发物的 GC-MS 分析鉴定出这种化合物为α-松油醇。使用α-松油醇和刺果番荔枝进行进一步的嗅觉测定法实验表明，这种组合对番荔枝科象甲的吸引力是仅使用刺果番荔枝挥发物的两倍。结果表明α-松油醇和刺果番荔枝挥发物之间存在互补效应。因此，α-松油醇是 Annonaceae 象甲的聚集信息素，其浓度受寄主植物挥发物的增强。
