Journal of Chemical Ecology (1999) 25, 835-845

Baldwyn Torto, Y.O.H. Assad, P.G.N. Njagi and A. Hassanali (1999)
Evidence for additional pheromonal components mediating oviposition aggregation in Schistocerca gregaria
Journal of Chemical Ecology 25 (4), 835-845
Abstract: Oviposition responses of gregarious adult gravid females of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria to sand previously used for oviposition by gregarious females (contaminated sand, with eggs and froth removed) and to sterilized sand (noncontaminated sand) were compared in bioassays. Gregarious females preferentially oviposited into contaminated sand. The number of egg pods laid by the females was found to correlate with the frequency of use of the contaminated sand for oviposition. Charcoal-trapped volatiles from the contaminated sand also elicited similar responses from gregarious females. Gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analysis of the trapped volatiles revealed the presence of three electrophysiologically active compounds that were identified by GC-MS as (Z)-6-octen-2-one, (E,E)-3,5-octadien-2-one and its geometric isomer (E,Z)-3,5-octadien-2-one. The relative amounts of the three EAG-active compounds in the volatiles increased with consecutive oviposition by the gregarious females. These results indicate mediation of additional pheromonal components in the oviposition behavior of gregarious desert locust that are distinct from those that were previously identified in the froth volatiles.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Baldwyn Torto, Ahmed Hassanali, Peter G.N. Njagi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Schistocerca gregaria