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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
The use of the sex pheromone as an evolutionary solution to food source selection in caterpillars
Nature Communications, Volume 3, Article 1047, Year 2012
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Description
Sex pheromones are released by adults of a species to elicit a sexual interaction with the other sex of the same species. Here we report an unexpected effect of a moth sex pheromone on the caterpillars of the same species. We demonstrate that larvae of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis are attracted by the moth sex pheromone and that this phenomenon is independent of sex determination. In addition, we show that the olfactory sensilla carried by the caterpillar antennae are sensitive to the pheromone and that the caterpillar sensilla express pheromone-binding proteins that are used by adult antennae to bind pheromone components. Finally, we demonstrate that the larvae are preferentially attracted to a food source when it contains the sex pheromone main component. A possible interpretation of these results is that the sex pheromone is used to promote food search in caterpillars, opening potential new routes for insect pest management. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Poivet, Erwan
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Rharrabe, Kacem
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Morocco, Tetouan
Université Abdelmalek Essaadi
Monsempès, Christelle
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Glaser, Nicolas
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Rochat, Didier
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Renou, Michel
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Marion-poll, Frédéric C.
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
France, Palaiseau
Agroparistech
Jacquin-Joly, Emmanuelle
France, Versailles
Physiologie de L'insecte Signalisation et Communication
Statistics
Citations: 58
Authors: 8
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/ncomms2050
e-ISSN:
20411723
Research Areas
Food Security
Sexual And Reproductive Health