Journal of Chemical Ecology (2007) 33, 369-389

Raj K. Saran, Jocelyn G. Millar and Michael K. Rust (2007)
Role of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol in trail following, feeding, and mating behavior of Reticulitermes hesperus
Journal of Chemical Ecology 33 (2), 369-389
Abstract: Trail pheromones mediate communication among western subterranean termites, Reticulitermes hesperus Banks. Repetitive passages of >28 termites were required to establish a pheromone trail and trails needed to be reinforced because they lasted <48 hr. The minimal threshold concentration for inducing responses from termite workers and secondary reproductives was between 0.01 and 0.1 fg/cm of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol (henceforth, dodecatrienol). Workers showed optimal trail-following behavior to dodecatrienol at a concentration of 10 fg/cm. Trails with concentrations >10 pg/cm were repellent to workers. Workers did not detect pheromone gradients, responding equally to increasing or decreasing gradients of dodecatrienol, and termite workers were not able to differentiate between different concentrations of dodecatrienol. Termites preferred dodecatrienol trails to 2-phenoxyethanol trails. Antennae played a key role in trail pheromone perception. Dodecatrienol acted as an arrestant for worker termites (10 fg/cm²) and male alates (5 ng/cm²), whereas sternal gland extracts from females attracted male alates. Workers and alates, upon contact with filter paper disks treated with higher doses (10 fg/cm² and 5 ng/cm², respectively) of dodecatrienol, were highly excited (increased antennation and palpation) and repeatedly returned to the treated disks. Dodecatrienol did not act as a phagostimulant when offered on a paper towel disk. Reticulitermes hesperus is highly responsive to dodecatrienol, and it may play an important role in orientation of workers and alates.
(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): Raj K. Saran, Michael K. Rust, Jocelyn G. Millar

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Reticulitermes hesperus