Male Sexual Behavior and Pheromone Emission Is Enhanced by Exposure to Guava Fruit Volatiles in Anastrepha fraterculus.
BACKGROUND
Plant chemicals can affect reproductive strategies of tephritid fruit flies by influencing sex pheromone communication and increasing male mating competitiveness.


OBJECTIVE
We explored whether exposure of Anastrepha fraterculus males to guava fruit volatiles and to a synthetic blend of volatile compounds released by this fruit affects the sexual performance of wild and laboratory flies. By means of bioassays and pheromone collection we investigated the mechanism underlying this phenomenon.


RESULTS
Guava volatile exposure enhanced male mating success and positively affected male calling behavior and pheromone release in laboratory and wild males. Changes in male behavior appear to be particularly important during the initial phase of the sexual activity period, when most of the mating pairs are formed. Exposure of laboratory males to a subset of guava fruit volatiles enhanced mating success, showing that the response to the fruit might be mimicked artificially.


CONCLUSIONS
Volatiles of guava seem to influence male mating success through an enhancement of chemical and physical signals related to the communication between sexes. This finding has important implications for the management of this pest species through the Sterile Insect Technique. We discuss the possibility of using artificial blends to improve the sexual competitiveness of sterile males.
Instituto de Genética "E.A. Favret", Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Guillermo E
GE
Bachmann
Instituto de Genética "E.A. Favret", Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Diego F
DF
Segura
Instituto de Genética "E.A. Favret", Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Francisco
F
Devescovi
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia (FAZ), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
M Laura
ML
Juárez
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC), San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
M Josefina
MJ
Ruiz
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia (FAZ), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
M Teresa
MT
Vera
Instituto de Genética "E.A. Favret", Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina.
Jorge L
JL
Cladera
Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE), USDA-ARS, Gainesville, FL, United States of America.
Peter E A
PE
Teal
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Delta del Paraná, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Campana, Argentina.
Patricia C
PC
Fernández
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism; D031647:Psidium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000502:physiology*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010675:Pheromones; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds