Isberg, Elin
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2017Peer reviewedOpen access
Evaluation of Host-Derived Volatiles for Trapping Culicoides Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)
Isberg, Elin; Bray, Daniel Peter; Hillbur, Ylva; Ignell, Rickard
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopognidae) cause pain and distress through blood feeding, and transmit viruses that threaten both animal and human health worldwide. There are few effective tools for monitoring and control of biting midges, with semiochemical-based strategies offering the advantage of targeting host-seeking populations. In previous studies, we identified the host preference of multiple Culicoides species, including Culicoides impunctatus, as well as cattle-derived compounds that modulate the behavioral responses of C. nubeculosus under laboratory conditions. Here, we test the efficacy of these compounds, when released at different rates, in attracting C. impunctatus under field conditions in Southern Sweden. Traps releasing 1-octen-3-ol, decanal, phenol, 4-methylphenol or 3-propylphenol, when combined with carbon dioxide (CO2), captured significantly higher numbers of C. impunctatus compared to control traps baited with CO2 alone, with low release rates (0.1 mg h(-1), 1 mg h(-1)) being generally more attractive. In contrast, traps releasing octanal or (E)-2-nonenal at 1 mg h(-1) and 10 mg h(-1) collected significantly lower numbers of C. impunctatus than control traps baited with CO2 only. Nonanal and 2-ethylhexanol did not affect the attraction of C. impunctatus when compared to CO2 alone at any of the release rates tested. The potential use of these semiochemicals as attractants and repellents for biting midge control is discussed.
Keywords
Attractants; Biting midges; Vectors; Arbovirus; Carbon dioxide; Host-odours; Kairomones; Repellents
Published in
Journal of Chemical Ecology
2017, volume: 43, number: 7, pages: 662-669
Publisher: SPRINGER
SLU Authors
Bray, Daniel
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- University of Greenwich
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Hillbur, Ylva
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Ignell, Rickard
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Zoology
Ecology
Behavioral Sciences Biology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-017-0860-x
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/87097