title: An Attractant of the Aphidophagous Gall Midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza From Honeydew of Aphis gossypii.
abstract: Many natural enemies of insects use honeydew as a volatile cue to locate hosts or prey, as an oviposition stimulant, and as an arrestant for foraging. The aphidophagous gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) has predacious larval stages and can be used to control aphid populations, especially in greenhouses. Previous studies have shown that the honeydew, excreted by the aphid Myzus persicae, attracts A. aphidimyza, but the crucial attractants have not been identified. Using an olfactometer, we studied behavioral responses of female A. aphidimyza to volatiles emitted from honeydew excreted by the aphid Aphis gossypii on eggplants. The volatiles attracted female midges and induced oviposition. Moreover, using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), we identified phenylacetaldehyde as the attractant compound in the honeydew, although it did not induce oviposition in olfactometer experiments.
authors.affiliation: Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kinki University, 3327-204, Nakamachi, Nara, 631-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kinki University, 3327-204, Nakamachi, Nara, 631-8505, Japan. yano@nara.kindai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Eizi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.affiliation: Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kinki University, 3327-204, Nakamachi, Nara, 631-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashida
authors.affiliation: Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kinki University, 3327-204, Nakamachi, Nara, 631-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Syouichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takabayashi
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan.
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ozawa
mesh_terms: D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000079:Acetaldehyde; C013192:phenylacetaldehyde
keywords: Aphidoletes aphidimyza; Aphis gossypii; Attraction; Honeydew; Oviposition; Phenylacetaldehyde