ArticleJournal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology2020
A plant volatile alters the perception of sex pheromone blend ratios in a moth.
Article in Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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5 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Advances in semiochemicals of the sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius, and its application in pest management.Crop health · 2026Review
- Diet acts on sexual behavior development in a male moth.Insect science · 2025Article
- Sawfly Sex Pheromones: Analysis of Their Impact on Pine Odor Attractive to Egg Parasitoids.Journal of chemical ecology · 2024Article
- Latest Developments in Insect Sex Pheromone Research and Its Application in Agricultural Pest Management.Insects · 2021Review
- Inhibitory effect of thymol on pheromone-mediated attraction in two pest moth species.Scientific reports · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Mate finding in most moths is based on male perception of a female-emitted pheromone whose species specificity resides in component chemistry and proportions. Components are individually detected by specialized olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) projecting into the macroglomerular complex (MGC) of the male brain. We asked how robust ratio recognition is when challenged by a plant volatile background. To test this, we investigated the perception of the pheromone blend in Agrotis ipsilon, a moth species whose females produce a blend of Z7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:Ac), Z9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:Ac), and Z11-hexadecenyl acetate in a 4:1:4 ratio optimally attractive for males. First, we recorded the responses of specialist ORNs for Z7 and Z9 and showed that heptanal, a flower volatile, activated Z7 but not Z9 neurons. Then, we recorded intracellularly the responses of MGC neurons to various ratios and showed that heptanal altered ratio responses of pheromone-sensitive neurons. Finally, we analyzed the behavior of males in a wind tunnel and showed that their innate preference for the 4:1:4 blend was shifted in the presence of heptanal. Pheromone ratio recognition may thus be altered by background odorants. Therefore, the olfactory environment might be a selective force for the evolution of pheromone communication systems.
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