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Research article2006Peer reviewedOpen access

Flight tunnel responses of Z strain European corn borer females to corn and hemp plants

Bengtsson M, Karpati Z, Szocs G, Reuveny H, Yang ZH, Witzgall P

Abstract

European corn borer females Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) exhibited upwind flight to three main host plants, corn Zea mays, hemp Cannabis sativa and hop Humulus lupulus, in a laboratory wind tunnel. Within a 15-min experimental period, 22.9% to 24.3% mated females flew toward and landed on a single potted corn plant. A potted hemp plant attracted 25.7% females. In a choice test, significantly more females landed on a hemp plant than on an adjacent corn plant. In contrast, paprika Capsicum annumn did not elicit attraction. Headspace collections from corn, hemp, and hop contained 18 compounds which consistently elicited a response from female antennae. Four of these, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate,)beta-caryophyllene, (E)-beta-farnesene, and (E,E)-alpha-farnesene co-occurred in three host plants studied. A 4-component blend of these compounds did not attract female moths in the wind tunnel. Availability of a wind tunnel bioassay is, however, a step toward the identification of plant volatiles guiding long-range attraction of gravid corn borer females

Published in

Environmental Entomology
2006, Volume: 35, number: 5, pages: 1238-1243 Publisher: ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY AMERICA

      SLU Authors

    • Bengtsson, Marie

      • Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Witzgall, Peter

        • Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
      Food Science
      Agricultural Science

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X(2006)35[1238:FTROZS]2.0.CO;2

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/9797