title: Identification of the airborne aggregation pheromone of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius.
abstract: Adults and juveniles of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), return to and aggregate in harborages after foraging for hosts. We tested the hypothesis that the aggregation is mediated, in part, by an airborne aggregation pheromone. Volatiles from experimental C. lectularius harborages were captured on Porapak Q, fractionated by liquid chromatography, and bioassayed in dual-choice, still-air olfactometer experiments. Of 14 compounds with >100 pg abundance in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of two bioactive fractions, 10 compounds [nonanal, decanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octenal, (2E,4E)-octadienal, benzaldehyde, (+)- and (-)-limonene, sulcatone, benzyl alcohol] proved to be essential components of the C. lectularius airborne aggregation pheromone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siljander
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gries
authors.forename: Grigori
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khaskin
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gries
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001511:Bedbugs / Q000378:metabolism*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010675:Pheromones / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones