Chemical signatures affecting host choice in the Eucalyptus herbivore, Gonipterus sp. (Curculionidae : Coleoptera)

dc.contributor.authorBouwer, Marc Clement
dc.contributor.authorSlippers, Bernard
dc.contributor.authorWingfield, Michael J.
dc.contributor.authorRohwer, Egmont Richard
dc.contributor.emailmarc.bouwer@fabi.up.ac.zaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-05T08:58:36Z
dc.date.available2014-09-05T08:58:36Z
dc.date.issued2014-10
dc.description.abstractIt is well-known that herbivorous insects respond to host plant volatiles. Yet details of how these insects perceive the complex profile of volatiles from different potential host plants has not been studied for most insects. Gonipterus spp. are important pests of Eucalyptus worldwide, but differ in their preference for different species of this host. In this study we consider whether host volatiles affect the host choice for a Gonipterus sp., and we characterize the response of the female insect to the volatile profiles from these hosts in an electro-antennographic (EAG) experiment. We sampled volatiles from freshly damaged leaves of three Eucalyptus species, and analyzed the profiles by gas chromatography coupled to electroantennography (GC-EAD) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Female weevils gave a mixed range of electro-physiological responses to volatile puffs from leaves of different tree species. This suggests that differences in volatile profiles of different trees play a role in how these beetles discriminate between potential hosts. GC-EAD analysis showed that responses were as complex as the volatile chemical compositions of the leaves. A number of these chemicals were identified and responses were mostly due to general green leaf volatiles. This was also evident from the fact that the insects showed a markedly greater response to the total volatile profile from freshly damaged leaves for all species. The females of the Gonipterus sp. can therefore detect damaged leaves, which may indicate host quality. Host specificity information is further expected to lie in the relative differences in emission ratios and synergism between different host chemical compounds, rather than specific individual compounds.en_US
dc.description.librarianhb2014en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipTree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP),the THRIP initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), South Africa and the National Research Foundation (NRF)en_US
dc.description.urihttp://link.springer.com/journal/11829en_US
dc.identifier.citationBouwer, MC, Slippers, B, Wingfield, MJ & Rohwer, ER 2014, 'Chemical signatures affecting host choice in the Eucalyptus herbivore, Gonipterus sp. (Curculionidae : Coleoptera)', Arthropod-Plant Interactions, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 439-451en_US
dc.identifier.issn1872-8855 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1872-8847 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s11829-014-9327-y
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/41933
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSpringeren_US
dc.rights© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014. The original publication is available at : http://link.springer.com/journal/11829.en_US
dc.subjectChemical signaturesen_US
dc.subjectCurculionidae : Coleopteraen_US
dc.subjectGas chromatographyen_US
dc.subjectElectroantennographyen_US
dc.subjectMass spectrometryen_US
dc.subjectGonipterus scutellatusen_US
dc.subjectEucalyptusen_US
dc.subjectVolatile compoundsen_US
dc.titleChemical signatures affecting host choice in the Eucalyptus herbivore, Gonipterus sp. (Curculionidae : Coleoptera)en_US
dc.typePostprint Articleen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Bouwer_Chemical_2014.pdf
Size:
3.35 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Postprint Article

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: