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Volatiles released by Chinese liquorice roots mediate host location behaviour by neonate Porphyrophora sophorae (Hemiptera: Margarodidae)
Author(s) -
Liu XianFu,
Chen HongHao,
Li JunKai,
Zhang Rong,
Turlings Ted CJ,
Chen Li
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.4237
Subject(s) - olfactometer , biology , hexanal , botany , host (biology) , hemiptera , odor , horticulture , ecology , food science , neuroscience
BACKGROUND The cochineal scale, Porphyrophora sophorae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea, Margarodidae), is one of the most serious arthropod pests of Chinese liquorice, Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Fabaceae), an important medicinal herb. The adult females tend to deposit the ovisacs in soil relatively far away from liquorice plants. After hatching, neonates move out of the soil and may use chemical cues to search for new hosts. RESULTS We collected and analysed the volatiles from soils with and without liquorice roots, and chromatographic profiles revealed hexanal, β ‐pinene and hexanol as potential host‐finding cues for P. sphorae . The attractiveness of these compounds to neonates was studied in the laboratory using four‐arm olfactometer bioassays. The larvae showed a clear preference for β ‐pinene over hexanal and hexanol, as well as all possible combinations of the three compounds. In addition, a field experiment confirmed that β ‐pinene was significantly more attractive than hexanal and hexanol. CONCLUSION Newly eclosed larvae of P. sphorae exploit root volatiles as chemical cues to locate their host plant. β ‐Pinene proved to be the major chemical cue used by P. sphorae neonates searching for roots of their host plant. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry