Skip to main content
Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2020

Identification and Synthesis of Putative Pheromone Components of the Threatened Salt Marsh Bagworm Moth, Whittleia retiella (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)

Rahmani, Rizan; Carrasco, David; Svensson, Glenn P.; Roweck, Hartmut; Ryrholm, Nils; Larsson, Mattias C.; Hedenstrom, Erik

Abstract

Whittleia retiella (Newman, 1847) is a threatened salt marsh species of the bagworm moth family Psychidae. For its preservation it is necessary to develop efficient tools to survey its distribution and habitat requirements in order to use appropriate conservation methods. Such tools may be pheromone-based monitoring systems, which have documented efficacy in establishing the occurrence of cryptic insect species in nature. By using gas chromatography combined with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD), we found two compounds in female W. retiella headspace samples and whole-body extracts that elicited electrophysiological activity in male antennae. Gas chromatograpy coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) operating in electron impact (EI) mode and comparison of the analytical data with those of synthetic reference compounds showed the chemical structures of these putative pheromone components to be (1S)-1-methylpropyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate and 1-methylethyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate. Field assays using baits loaded with synthetic compounds revealed that conspecific males were attracted to (1S)-1-methylpropyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate alone or in combination with 1-methylethyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate, whereas 1-methylethyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate neither attracted nor repelled males in the field assays when tested alone. This study shows the potential of using (1S)-1-methylpropyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate for monitoring W. retiella to gather more detailed information about the geographic distribution and habitat needs of this rare moth.

Keywords

Endangered species; Species monitoring; Field observation; 1-Methylethyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate; (1S)-1-Methylpropyl (5Z)-dec-5-enoate; Stereoisomers; Enantiomers

Published in

Journal of Chemical Ecology
2020, volume: 46, pages: 115-127
Publisher: SPRINGER

Authors' information

Rahmani, Rizan
Mid Sweden Univ
Carrasco, David
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Protection Biology
Carrasco, David
University of Montpellier
Svensson, Glenn P.
Lund Univ
Roweck, Hartmut
Christian Albrecht Univ
Ryrholm, Nils
Univ Gavle
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Protection Biology
Hedenstrom, Erik
Mid Sweden Univ

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology
Ecology

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-020-01145-x

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/104814