title: Alpha-acaridial a female sex pheromone from an alarm pheromone emilting mite Rhizoglyphus robini.
abstract: The female sex pheromone of Rhizoglyphus robini Claparède (Astigmata: Acaridae) was identified as alpha-acaridial [2(E)-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-butenedial], which stimulated males sexually and enhanced the frequency of male mounting behavior. Although a hexane extract of females manifested alarm pheromone activity against tested males due to the presence of the alarm pheromone neryl formate, silica gel column fractions containing alpha-acaridial evoked increased mounting behavior by males at a dose of 0.1 female equivalent. Synthetic alpha-acaridial at a dose of 10 ng showed a peak of activity as a sex pheromone, with a convex dose-response relationship. Its content was determined to be 388 +/- 244 ng per female and 163 +/- 97 ng per male by GC. This is the first time that two pheromones (the alarm pheromone neryl formate, and the sex pheromone alpha-acaridial) have been demonstrated to be components of the same opisthonotal gland secretion in astigmatid mites. A mechanism for the appropriate expression of the two pheromones by the mites under different conditions is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical Ecology, Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Ritsuo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005561:Formates / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000737:chemistry*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D005561:Formates; D012724:Sex Attractants; C448740:beta-acaridial