Journal of Entomological Science (1996) 31, 172-182

Jeffrey R. Aldrich, James W. Avery, Chang-Joo Lee, Jennifer C. Graf, Dawn J. Harrison and Ferdinando Bins (1996)
Semiochemistry of cabbage bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Eurydema and Murgantia)
Journal of Entomological Science 31 (2), 172-182
Abstract: The semiochemistry of the common North American pest of crucifers, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn) (the harlequin bug), and two related European species, Eurydema ventrale L. and E. oleraceum L., was investigated. The metathoracic scent glands of these warningly-colored stink bugs (Pentatomidae) are smaller than the scent glands of most cryptically-colored pentatomids, and the secretions from the scent glands of Murgantia and Eurydema species include two heretofore unknown natural products: (2E,6E)-octadienedial and (2E,6E)-octadiene-1,8-diol diacetate. It also was discovered that when harlequin bug adults are squeezed, they expel a frothy fluid from the margins of the prothorax with a distinctive odor due to the presence of 2-sec-butyl-3-methoxypyrazine and 2-isopropyl-3-methoxy-pyrazine. The presence of alkylmethoxyprazines in the expelled fluid of harlequin bugs extends the known distribution of these compounds to include the Heteroptera, and strengthens the argument that this class of pyrazines constitute a universal warning ordor equivalent to the color red as a visual warning signal.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Jeffrey R. Aldrich

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Eurydema oleracea
	Murgantia histrionica
	Eurydema ventralis