Comparison of male antennal morphology and sensilla physiology for sex pheromone olfactory sensing between sibling moth species: Ectropis grisescens and Ectropis obliqua (Geometridae).

Ectropis grisescens and Ectropis obliqua (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) are sibling pest species that co-occur on tea plants. The sex pheromone components of both species contain (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-octadecatriene and (Z,Z)-3,9-cis-6,7-epoxy-octadecadiene. E. obliqua has (Z,Z)-3,9-cis-6,7-epoxy-nonadecadiene as an additional sex pheromone component, which ensures reproductive segregation between the two species. To ascertain the detection mechanism of olfactory organs for sex pheromone components of E. grisescens and E. obliqua, we applied scanning electron microscopy and single sensillum recording to compare antennal morphology and sensillum physiology in the two species. There was no apparent morphological difference between the antennae of the two species. Both species responded similarly to all three sex pheromone components, including, E. obliqua specific component. The distribution patterns of antennal sensilla trichodea differed between the two species. Sex pheromone olfactory sensing in these sibling species appears to be determined by the density of different types of olfactory sensing neurons. Dose-dependent responses of sensilla trichodea type 1 to (Z,Z)-3,9-cis-6,7-epoxy-octadecadiene, the most abundant component, showed an "all or none" pattern and the other two components showed sigmoidal dose-response curves with a half threshold of 10-4 (dilution equal to the concentration of 10 µg/µl). These results suggest that the major sex pheromone component functions as an on-off controller while secondary components function as modulators during olfactory transmission to the primary olfactory center.

Identification of Sex Pheromone of Miltochrista striata (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae).

A species of lichen moth, Miltochrista striata (Bremer & Grey, 1852), feeds on lichens in Chinese tea plantations (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Ericales:Theaceae)). A previous sex attractant screening test showed that male moths of M. striata were attracted by a mixture of (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-octadecatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-18:H), (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-19:H), and their monoepoxy derivatives. To determine which of the component is an effective sex attractant for M. striata, the sex pheromone glands of female moths were excised and extracted with n-hexane. By comparison with the retention time and mass spectra of synthetic chemicals, two compounds in the crude extracts were identified as Z3,Z6,Z9-18:H and (Z,Z)-3,6-cis-9,10-epoxy-octadecadiene (Z3,Z6,epo9-18:H) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results of electroantennographic tests showed that the electrophysiological activities of Z3,Z6,Z9-18:H and Z3,Z6,epo9-18:H were distinctly higher than those of (Z,Z)-6,9-cis-3,4-epoxy-octadecadiene, (Z,Z)-3,9-cis-6,7-epoxy-octadecadiene, (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene, (Z,Z)-6,9-cis-3,4-epoxy-nonadecatriene, (Z,Z)-3,9-cis-6,7-epoxy-nonadecatriene, and (Z,Z)-3,6-cis-9,10-epoxy-nonadecatriene. Field trapping showed that only a mixture of Z3,Z6,Z9-18:H and Z3,Z6,epo9-18:H attracted male moths, and the optimal mixture of these compounds was the ratio of 4:6 at 1.0-mg dosage. The results represent the first determination of the sex pheromone of a lichen moth in a tea plantation and provide a scientific basis to develop an effective protocol using sex pheromone to monitor populations of M. striata.