Journal of Chemical Ecology (2004) 30, 2071-2084

C.D. Hull, J.P. Cunningham, C.J. Moore, M.P. Zalucki and B.W. Cribb (2004)
Discrepancy between antennal and behavioral responses for enantiomers of alpha-pinene: electrophysiology and behavior of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera)
Journal of Chemical Ecology 30 (10), 2071-2084
Abstract: The ability of adult cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), to distinguish and respond to enantiomers of alpha-pinene was investigated with electrophysiological and behavioral methods. Electroantennogram recordings using mixtures of the enantiomers at saturating dose levels, and single unit electrophysiology, indicated that the two forms were detected by the same receptor neurons. The relative size of the electroantennogram response was higher for the (-) compared to the (+) form, indicating greater affinity for the (-) form at the level of the dendrites. Behavioral assays investigated the ability of moths to discriminate between, and respond to the (+) and (-) forms of alpha-pinene. Moths with no odor conditioning showed an innate preference for (+)-alpha-pinene. This preference displayed by naïve moths was not significantly different from the preferences of moths conditioned on (+)-alpha-pinene. However, we found a significant difference in preference between moths conditioned on the (-) enantiomer compared to naïve moths and moths conditioned on (+)-alpha-pinene, showing that learning plays an important role in the behavioral response. Moths are less able to distinguish between enantiomers of alpha-pinene than different odors (e.g., phenylacetaldehyde versus (-)-alpha-pinene) in learning experiments. The relevance of receptor discrimination of enantiomers and learning ability of the moths in host plant choice is discussed.
(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): Myron P. Zalucki, Chris Moore

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Helicoverpa armigera