USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA.
Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 1800 Denison Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
Environ Entomol. 2022 Dec 16;51(6):1200-1209. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvac087.
Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella Hübner, is an important pest of stored products in food facilities like processing plants, warehouses, and retail stores. Mating disruption, which uses synthetic pheromone to delay or prevent mating, is a relatively new management tactic for this pest but is becoming widely adopted. However, little is known about the mechanisms behind its efficacy, including how artificial pheromone impacts female behavior. Here we assay behavioral responses of two strains of unmated female P. interpunctella exposed to pheromone. Results show one strain increased the duration of calling behavior while the other decreased calling when exposed to pheromone lures. Time walking decreased, and time cleaning increased for both strains when exposed to pheromone. Time of first walking behavior was also delayed for one strain when exposed to pheromone. Females of both strains were less mobile when exposed to pheromone. These results show autodetection of pheromone by females, but also indicate that strains may vary in behavioral responses. Differing patterns of calling behavior between strains could be driven by either strain-specific genetic differences or laboratory induced effects. Decreasing calling behavior and overall movement during exposure to pheromone could enhance the effectiveness of a mating disruption program. However, increased calling by females in the presence of pheromone may be a competitive response and could increase mating success under certain scenarios. These findings suggest that artificial pheromone associated with monitoring and mating disruption programs has impacts on female behavior and warrants further study to determine the overall impacts on program effectiveness.
印度谷螟，Plodia interpunctella Hübner，是食品加工厂、仓库和零售店等食品设施中储存产品的重要害虫。交配干扰，即使用合成信息素来延迟或阻止交配，是一种针对这种害虫的相对较新的管理策略，但正在被广泛采用。然而，对于其功效的机制知之甚少，包括人工信息素如何影响雌性行为。在这里，我们检测了两种未交配的雌性 P. interpunctella 暴露于信息素后的行为反应。结果表明，一种品系在暴露于信息素诱饵时增加了鸣叫行为的持续时间，而另一种品系则减少了鸣叫。两种品系暴露于信息素时，步行时间减少，清洁时间增加。一种品系暴露于信息素时，首次行走行为的时间也被延迟。两种品系的雌性在暴露于信息素时移动性降低。这些结果表明雌性可以自动检测信息素，但也表明品系可能在行为反应上存在差异。品系之间的鸣叫行为模式差异可能是由特定于品系的遗传差异或实验室诱导的效应驱动的。在暴露于信息素时，减少鸣叫行为和整体运动可以增强交配干扰计划的有效性。然而，在存在信息素的情况下，雌性鸣叫的增加可能是一种竞争反应，并可能在某些情况下增加交配成功的机会。这些发现表明，与监测和交配干扰计划相关的人工信息素对雌性行为有影响，需要进一步研究以确定对计划有效性的总体影响。
