Communication interference in sympatrically occurring moth species

JUÁREZ, M. L.; RUIZ, M. J.; FERNÁNDEZ, P. C.; GOANE, L.; VILLAGRÁN, M. E.; ARCE, O.; ARMIÑANA, A.; PÁEZ JEREZ, P. G.; DE LA VEGA, M. H.; VERA, M.T.; GROOT, A. T

Congreso; IX Congreso Argentino de Entomología; 2015

In moth species, females emit a species-specific sex pheromone that is perceived over long distance byconspecific males. The species-specificity in the chemical communication channel is achieved by acombination of unique components in specific ratios and sometimes also by interspecific behaviouralantagonists to deter sympatrically occurring heterospecificmales. In this study, we determined possibleantagonistic effects in Helicoverpa gelotopoeon Dyar (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) males to the majorsex pheromone component of sympatrically occurring heliothine moths, Z11-16:Ald, as well as tothe sex pheromone of the sympatrically occurring Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)(Z11-16:Ald and Z9-14:Ald). We also explored whether other co-occurring species areattracted to these pheromone blends. Our field experiments showed that the addition of Z11-16:Aldalone or in combination with Z9-14:Ald inhibited trap catches of H. gelotopoeon males and that thisinhibition depended on the concentration of these compounds. In addition, other moth species wereattracted to the blends. Together, our results confirm the antagonistic effect of heterospecific sexpheromone compounds of H. virescens toH. gelotopoeon.