Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE
(ISSN 1009-3095, Monthly)

2004   Vol. 5   No. 12   p.1577-1582

EAG and behavioral responses of Helicoverpa armigera males to volatiles from poplar leaves and their combinations with sex pheromone

DENG Jian-yu^*1,2, HUANG Yong-ping¹, WEI Hong-yi¹, DU Jia-wei¹

(¹Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China)
(²Institute of Plant Protection, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201106, China)
^*E-mail: jydeng70@hotmail.com
Received Jan. 16, 2004; revision accepted June 17, 2004

Abstract: Electroantennogram (EAG) evaluation of selected compounds from wilted leaves of black poplar, Populus nigra, showed that phenyl acetaldehyde, methyl salicylate, (E)-2-hexenal elicited strong responses from male antennae of Helicoverpa armigera. When mixed with sex pheromone (Ph), some volatiles, e.g. phenyl acetaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, phenylethanol, methylsalicylate, linalool, benzaldehyde, (Z)-3-hexenol, (Z)-3-hexenylacetate, (Z)-6-nonenol, cineole, (E)-2-hexenal, and geraniol elicited stronger responses from male antennae than Ph alone. Wind tunnel bioassay demonstrated that various volatiles could either enhance or inhibit the effect of synthetic sex pheromone. (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenol and linalool in combination with Ph could not induce any male to land on source at all, whereas phenyl acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, (Z)-6-nonenol and salicylaldehyde combined with Ph enhanced male response rates by 58.63%, 50.33%, 51.85% and 127.78%, respectively, compared to Ph alone. These results suggested that some volatiles should modify sex pheromone caused behavior and that some of them could possibly be used as a tool for disrupting mating or for enhancing the effect of synthetic sex pheromone in the field.

Key words: Helicoverpa armigera, Wilted leave volatiles, Chinese black poplar, Sex pheromone, EAG, Wind-tunnel bioassay
doi:10.1631/jzus.2004.1577             CLC number: Q968.1