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Response of Brontispa longissima to coconut palm ( Cocos nucifera ) leaf volatiles
Author(s) -
FANG YULING,
SUN JIANGHUA,
ZHANG ZHONGNING
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.2011.00799.x
Subject(s) - cocos nucifera , biology , arecaceae , myrcene , botany , palm , pest analysis , limonene , horticulture , physics , quantum mechanics , essential oil
Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Hispidae) is a new invasive pest in China that has caused severe economic damage to palm trees (Arecaceae, Palmae). The response of this beetle to coconut palm ( Cocos nucifera ) leaf volatiles is investigated in laboratory bioassays. Both sexes are attracted to a mixture of β ‐myrcene, (−)‐limonene and E ‐2‐hexen‐1‐ol (1 : 6 : 1), which are key components of coconut palm leaf volatiles. A blend of β ‐myrcene and (−)‐limonene (0.7 : 1–1 : 0.7) in low amounts (100 ng) elicits aggregation and oviposition in females. Chemical analyses of food‐deprived, gravid female B. longissima show high concentrations of β ‐myrcene and (−)‐limonene in their accessory glands, suggesting that female beetles sequester both compounds and release them during oviposition.