Abstract
Blueberry spanworm, Itame argillacearia (Packard), is an important defoliator of lowbush (syn. ‘wild’) blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton, in north-eastern North America. The goal of the present study was to identify the female I. argillacearia sex pheromone, which could be used in traps for monitoring or mass-trapping this pest. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and electroantennogram (EAG) recordings of sex pheromone gland extracts, in combination with chemical synthesis, a Y-tube olfactometer study and field experiments confirmed (2R,3S)-2-ethyl-3-((Z,Z)-tridecadi-2,5-enyl) oxirane (hereafter (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene) and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-heptadecatriene as female-produced sex pheromone components. (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-Epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene elicited a response from male I. argillacearia antennae during EAG recording, and in the Y-tube olfactometer tests males did not discriminate between a live female and (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene. Field-trapping experiments showed that a blend of (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-heptadecatriene was more attractive to male moths than (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene alone.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AAFC (2012) Statistical Overview of the Canadian Blueberry Industry, 2010. Market Analysis and Information Section, Horticulture and Special Crops Division, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Alford AR, Diehl JR (1985) The periodicity of female calling in the blueberry spanworm, Itame argillacearia Pack. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Can Entomol 117:553–556
Blackmer JL, Rodriguez-Saona C, Byers JA, Shope KL, Byers JA, Shope KL, Smith JP (2004) Behavioral response of (Lygus hesperus) to conspecifics and headspace volatiles in a Y-tube olfactometer. J Chem Ecol 30:288–292
Boo KS, Chung IB, Han KS, Pickett JA, Wadha LJ (1998) Response of the lacewing (Chrysopa cognate) to pheromones of its aphid prey. J Chem Ecol 24:1333–1339
Butt BA, Cantu E (1962) Sex determination of lepidopterous pupae. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, ARS-33-75
Cantelo WW, Jacobsen M, Hartstack AW (1982) Moth trap performance: Jackson trap vs. Texas pheromone trap. Southwest Entomol 7:212–215
Cardé RT, Bell WJ (eds) (1995) Chemical ecology of insects. Chapman Hall, New York
Chen L, Fadamiro HY (2007) Differential electroantennogram response of females and males of two parasitoid species to host-related green leaf volatiles and inducible compounds. Bull Entomol Res 97:515–522
Crozier L (1995) The Blueberry Spanworm. Lowbush Blueberry Fact Sheet. Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing, Truro
Drummond FA, Groden E (2000) Evaluation of entomopathogens for biological control of insect pests of lowbush (wild) blueberry. Technical bulletin-172. University of Maine, Cooperative Extension
Du Y, Guy M, Poppy, Wild P, John AP, Lester JW, Christine MW (1998) Identification of semiochemical released during aphid feeding that attract parasitoid (Aphidius ervi). J Chem Ecol 24:679–684
Dunkelblum E, Tan SH, Silk PJ (1985) Double bond location in mono-unsaturated fatty acids by dimethyldisulfide derivatization and mass spectrometry: application to analysis of fatty acids in pheromone glands of four Lepidoptera. J Chem Ecol 11:265–277
Gibb AR, Comesky D, Berndt L, Brockerhoff EG, El-Sayed AM, Jactel H, Suckling DM (2006) Identification of sex pheromone components of a New Zealand geometrid moth, the common forest looper Pseudocoremia suavis, reveals a possible species complex. J Chem Ecol 32:865–879
Gries R, Gries G, Schaefer PW, Gotoh T, Higashiura Y (1999) Sex pheromone components of the pink gypsy moth, Lymantria mathura. Naturwissenschaften 86:235–238
Hillier NK (2001) Quantitative chemical ecology of the lingonberry fruitworm, Grapholita libertina Heinr. PhD dissertation. Memorial University, St. John’s
Hillier NK, Dixon PL, Seabrook WD, Larson DJ (2002) Field testing of synthetic attractants for male Grapholita libertina (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Can Entomol 134:657–665
Jutsum AR, Gordon RFS (eds) (1989) Insect pheromones in plant protection. John Wiley & Sons, New York
Loreau O, Maret A, Poullain D, Chardigny JM, Sébédio JL, Beaufrère B, Noël JP (2000) Large-scale preparation of (9Z,12E)-[1-13C]-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid, (9Z,12Z,15E)-[1-13C]-octadeca-9, 12, 15-trienoic acid and their [1-13C] all-cis isomers. Chem Phys Lipids 106:65–78
Martin JS, Fredrik O, Tom EB, Anna N, Fredrik A, Eric H, Michael JL, Florian PS (2004) Identification, synthesis and activity of sex pheromone gland components of the autumn gum moth (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), a defoliator of Eucalyptus. Chemoecology 14:217–223
McNeil JN (1991) Behavioral ecology of pheromone-mediated communication in moths and its importance in the use of pheromone traps. Annu Rev Entomol 36:407–430
Millar JG (2000) Polyene hydrocarbons and epoxides: a second major class of lepidopteran sex attractant pheromones. Annu Rev Entomol 45:575–604
Millar JG, Giblin M, Barton D, Morrison A, Underhill EW (1990) Synthesis and field testing of enantiomers of 6Z,9Z-cis-3,4-epoxydienes as sex attractants for geometrid moths, interactions of enantiomers and regioisomers. J Chem Ecol 16:2317–2339
Millar JG, Underhill EW (1986) Short synthesis of 1, 3Z, 6Z, 9Z-tetraene hydrocarbons. Lepidopteran sex attractants. Can J Chem 64:2427–2430
Ramanaidu K, Hardman JM, Percival DC, Cutler GC (2011) Laboratory and field susceptibility of blueberry spanworm (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) to conventional and reduced-risk insecticides. Crop Prot 30:1643–1648
Ryall K, Silk PJ, Wu J, Mayo P, Lemay MA, Magee D (2010) Sex pheromone chemistry and field trapping studies of the elm spanworm Ennomos subsignaria (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Naturwissenschaften 97:717–724
SAS (2001) SAS System for Windows (Version Release 9.1.2). SAS Institute, Raleigh
Silk PJ, Sweeney J, Wu J, Price J, Gutowski JM, Kettela EG (2007) Evidence for a male-produced pheromone in Tetropium fuscum (F.) and Tetropium cinnamopterum (Kirby) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Naturwissenschaften 94:697–701
Turner JCL, Liburd OE (2007) Insect Management in Blueberries in the Eastern United States. Dept. of Entomology and Nematology, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Report No. ENY-411
Wagner DL, Ferguson DC, Mccabe TL, Reardon RC (2001) Geometrid caterpillars of northeastern and Appalachian forests. Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Report No. FHTET-2001-10
Witzgall P, Kirsch P, Cork A (2010) Sex pheromones and their impact on pest management. J Chem Ecol 36:80–100
Yamamoto M, Kiso M, Yamazawa H, Takeuchi J, Ando T (2000) Identification of chiral sex pheromone secreted by giant geometrid moth, Biston robustum Butler. J Chem Ecol 26:2579–2590
Yang F-L, Zhu F, Lei C-L (2011) Insecticidal activities of garlic substances against adults of grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). J Insect Sci 39:1–8
Acknowledgments
Financial support for this research was through a Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture Technology Development grant, in partnership with the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia, and through an Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency – Atlantic Innovation Fund. We thank Allysa Brewer and Jessica McConaghy for synthetic chemistry support. We also thank J. Sproule, K. Ramanaidu, M. M. Ayyanath and several summer research interns for technical assistance, Bragg Lumber Co. for granting access to their blueberry fields, and two anonymous reviewers and Dr. David Hall for their valuable comments on the manuscript. All experiments reported here comply with the laws of Canada.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
De Silva, E.C.A., Silk, P.J., Mayo, P. et al. Identification of Sex Pheromone Components of Blueberry Spanworm Itame argillacearia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). J Chem Ecol 39, 1169–1181 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-013-0337-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-013-0337-5