The role of sex pheromones in the biology of Lasioderma serricorne (F) and Stegobium panceum (L) (Ahobiidae: Coleoptera) : and their potential for use in control procedures
The role of sex pheromones in the biology of Lasioderma serricorne (F) and Stegobium panceum (L) (Ahobiidae: Coleoptera) : and their potential for use in control procedures
The existence of female sex pheromones in both L. serricorne (F) and S. paniceum (L.) has been confirmed in three bioassay techniques. The males of both species were sexually responsive to both air and solvent extracts of their own females pheromone release and male response in L. serricorne is associated with age. Although pheromones were detected during the first day afer emergence, both the quantity of the release and the level of male response were found to increase during the following days, reaching a peak 8 - 10 days after emergence. Subsequently, the timing of mating behaviour was associated with rhythms of pheromone release and male response. L. serricorne and S. paniceum showed no circadian variation in sexual activity. The amount of female sex pheromone of L. serricorne which was absorbed on to filter paper exposed to 10 females for 15 minutes remained almost constant for one hour when measured by male responsiveness. Thereafter, the amount of pheromone apparently declined gradually during the following 8 hours, whereas the amount of female sex pheromone of S. paniceum exposed in a similar way remained almost constant for 48 hours, also when measured by male responsiveness. Comparative bioassays were carried out with a locally collected colony (f) of L. serricorne and a laboratory colony (W) from the Wellcome Research Laboratories. When males of (F) were bioassayed against female extract of (W) and vice versa, the behavioural thresholds of the two groups of males were found to be significantly different. Furthermore, the thresholds of males from colony (F) were different from those of (W) when they were each tested against female extracts of (W). There were also significant differences between the behavioural thresholds of (W) males responding to female extract of a colony from Slough (S) and (S) males responding to (W) female extract. In addition, there were significant differences in the thresholds of (W) males tested against (W) females and (S) females. These bioassays suggest that the response thresholds of males from different populations may differ, but the possibility that the female pheromones are qualitatively different or released at different rates cannot be excluded. Serricornin, the synthetic female sex pheromone of L. serricorne may not fully represent the L. serricorne sex pheromone. There was no cross-attraction, or inhibition between males of L. serricorne and S. paniceum to the sex pheromone of the other species. Males of L. serricorne pre-exposed to female sex pheromone exhibit habituation, and the degree of habituation is proportional to the concentration and duration of the exposure to sex pheromone. The time required for recovery is slow, but recovery was complete after 24 hours. In both L. serricorne and S. paniceum, sex pheromone communication was disrupted in arena treated with female sex pheromone. In the presence of the female pheromone of their own species, males were unable to locate their own females, which led to a reduction in mating attempts. Throughout the work on L. serricorne, the beetles demonstrated a tendency to aggregate when they were left for several hours, but no evidence was found for aggregation pheromones in either males or females. Various test materials induced different levels of arrestment in males of both L. serricorne and S. paniceum. Rubber sleeve-stoppers, rubber sheeting, and rubber bands induced high levels of male arrestment compared with the arrestment produced by other types of test materials, e.g. plastic corrugated (Correx), polythene vials and hard white plastic. Good catches of L. serricorne were obtained in pheromone-baited sticky traps placed in the laboratory. Holes in sticky traps increased the efficiency of the trap, but the colour of the trap had no influence on catches. (D68633/86)
University of Southampton
1985
Mhemed, Ahmed Jasem
(1985)
The role of sex pheromones in the biology of Lasioderma serricorne (F) and Stegobium panceum (L) (Ahobiidae: Coleoptera) : and their potential for use in control procedures.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The existence of female sex pheromones in both L. serricorne (F) and S. paniceum (L.) has been confirmed in three bioassay techniques. The males of both species were sexually responsive to both air and solvent extracts of their own females pheromone release and male response in L. serricorne is associated with age. Although pheromones were detected during the first day afer emergence, both the quantity of the release and the level of male response were found to increase during the following days, reaching a peak 8 - 10 days after emergence. Subsequently, the timing of mating behaviour was associated with rhythms of pheromone release and male response. L. serricorne and S. paniceum showed no circadian variation in sexual activity. The amount of female sex pheromone of L. serricorne which was absorbed on to filter paper exposed to 10 females for 15 minutes remained almost constant for one hour when measured by male responsiveness. Thereafter, the amount of pheromone apparently declined gradually during the following 8 hours, whereas the amount of female sex pheromone of S. paniceum exposed in a similar way remained almost constant for 48 hours, also when measured by male responsiveness. Comparative bioassays were carried out with a locally collected colony (f) of L. serricorne and a laboratory colony (W) from the Wellcome Research Laboratories. When males of (F) were bioassayed against female extract of (W) and vice versa, the behavioural thresholds of the two groups of males were found to be significantly different. Furthermore, the thresholds of males from colony (F) were different from those of (W) when they were each tested against female extracts of (W). There were also significant differences between the behavioural thresholds of (W) males responding to female extract of a colony from Slough (S) and (S) males responding to (W) female extract. In addition, there were significant differences in the thresholds of (W) males tested against (W) females and (S) females. These bioassays suggest that the response thresholds of males from different populations may differ, but the possibility that the female pheromones are qualitatively different or released at different rates cannot be excluded. Serricornin, the synthetic female sex pheromone of L. serricorne may not fully represent the L. serricorne sex pheromone. There was no cross-attraction, or inhibition between males of L. serricorne and S. paniceum to the sex pheromone of the other species. Males of L. serricorne pre-exposed to female sex pheromone exhibit habituation, and the degree of habituation is proportional to the concentration and duration of the exposure to sex pheromone. The time required for recovery is slow, but recovery was complete after 24 hours. In both L. serricorne and S. paniceum, sex pheromone communication was disrupted in arena treated with female sex pheromone. In the presence of the female pheromone of their own species, males were unable to locate their own females, which led to a reduction in mating attempts. Throughout the work on L. serricorne, the beetles demonstrated a tendency to aggregate when they were left for several hours, but no evidence was found for aggregation pheromones in either males or females. Various test materials induced different levels of arrestment in males of both L. serricorne and S. paniceum. Rubber sleeve-stoppers, rubber sheeting, and rubber bands induced high levels of male arrestment compared with the arrestment produced by other types of test materials, e.g. plastic corrugated (Correx), polythene vials and hard white plastic. Good catches of L. serricorne were obtained in pheromone-baited sticky traps placed in the laboratory. Holes in sticky traps increased the efficiency of the trap, but the colour of the trap had no influence on catches. (D68633/86)
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Published date: 1985
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Local EPrints ID: 461709
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/461709
PURE UUID: f6eb60c1-5332-4d26-9658-4fb58ee76976
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:52
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 18:52
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Author:
Ahmed Jasem Mhemed
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