ArticlePest management science2026
Host-associated chemical cues mediating host-finding behaviour in the larval ectoparasitoid Cephalonomia tarsalis.
Article in Pest management science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding how parasitoids locate their hosts is essential for improving the effectiveness of these insects as biological control agents. The bethylid ectoparasitoid Cephalonomia tarsalis is a key natural enemy of the sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis, an important stored product pest. While some aspects of its host-finding behaviour are understood, the significance of larval host-associated volatile cues remains largely unclear. This study investigated the influence of host-specific odours on host location by C. tarsalis females.
resultsVolatile compounds released from fourth-instar larval faeces were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and their behavioural relevance was evaluated using Y-tube olfactometer bioassays alongside odours from different host stages (live larvae and adults) and from host-associated food substrates. Females responded positively to most of the tested odours, including those from host adults, larval faeces, and host-associated food substrates. Among the compounds identified in the faecal volatiles of host larvae, 1-pentadecene was found to be significantly attractive. In flight-cage experiments, 1-pentadecene induced behavioural responses in test parasitoids that were similar to those elicited by larval faeces.
conclusionHost-associated volatile cues, particularly those derived from larval faeces, play a key role in mediating the host-searching behaviour of C. tarsalis females. These findings provide a basis for the development of semiochemical-based approaches to enhance the efficiency of this biological control agent for stored-product pests. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.