Premium
Identification and field evaluation of ( E )‐11,13‐tetradecadienal as sex pheromone of the strawberry tortrix ( Acleris comariana )
Author(s) -
Svensson Glenn P.,
Tönnberg Victoria,
Sigsgaard Lene
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/jen.12619
Subject(s) - tortricidae , biology , pheromone , sex pheromone , lepidoptera genitalia , pest analysis , botany , electroantennography , horticulture , zoology
The strawberry tortrix ( Acleris comariana Lienig and Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a major pest of strawberry in Denmark and southern Sweden. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses revealed a single compound, ( E )‐11,13‐tetradecadienal ( E 11,13‐14:Ald), in gland extracts of females eliciting a strong antennal response in conspecific males. Also ( Z )‐11,13‐tetradecadienal ( Z 11,13‐14:Ald) was found to be antennally active, but not detected in gland extracts. The corresponding alcohol and acetate of E 11,13‐14:Ald, which are biologically active in other Acleris species, were not produced by females and did not trigger electrophysiological response in males. Trapping experiments at a commercial strawberry farm in southern Sweden showed that E 11,13‐14:Ald and Z 11,13‐14:Ald, alone or in combination, attracted large numbers of males. Trap catches increased with increasing dose of E 11,13‐14:Ald, with traps baited with 100 µg and 1,000 µg being most attractive. Our results confirm the widespread use of E 11,13‐14:Ald as a key sex pheromone component in the genus Acleris . The identification of a highly attractive sex pheromone is a first step in developing pheromone‐based methods for monitoring and control of A. comariana in European strawberry production.