title: Sex-pairing pheromone of Ancistrotermes dimorphus (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae).
abstract: Ancistrotermes dimorphus is a common Macrotermitinae representative, facultative inquiline by its life-style, occurring in South-East China. Sex pheromone is used for couple formation and maintenance, and it is produced by and released from the female sternal gland and is highly attractive to males. Based on our combined behavioral, chemical and electrophysiological analyses, we identified (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol as the female sex pheromone of A. dimorphus as it evoked the tandem behavior at short distance, and the active quantities ranged from 0.01ng to 10ng. Interestingly, GC-MS analyses of SPME extracts showed another compound specific to the female sternal gland, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol, which showed a clear GC-EAD response. However, this compound has no behavioral function in natural concentrations (0.1ng), while higher amounts (1ng) inhibit the attraction achieved by (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol. The function of (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol is not fully understood, but might be linked to recognition from sympatric species using the same major compound, enhancing the long-distance attraction, or informing about presence of other colonies using the compound as a trail-following pheromone. The sternal gland secretion of Ancistrotermes females contains additional candidate compounds, namely (3E,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol and (6Z)-dodec-6-en-1-ol, which are not perceived by males' antennae in biologically relevant amounts.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China; Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Jiangsu Agrochemical Laboratory, Changzhou, Jiangsu 212022, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. Electronic address: mojianchu@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jianchu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Termite Control Center of Fangchengang, Fangchengang, Guangxi 538001, China.
authors.forename: Chunwen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Šobotník
authors.affiliation: IRD - Sorbonne Universités, iEES-Paris, U 242, Bondy, France; University Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, LEEC, EA 4443, Villetaneuse, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sillam-Dussès
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae / Q000502:physiology; D002681:China; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D020049:Isoptera / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants
keywords: (3Z)-Dodec-3-en-1-ol; (3Z,6Z)-Dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol; Courtship behavior; Fungus-growing termite