title: Olfactory Response and Host Plant Feeding of the Central American Locust Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons Walker to Common Plants in a Gregarious Zone.
abstract: The Central American locust (CAL) Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons Walker is one of the most harmful plant pests in the Yucatan Peninsula, where an important gregarious zone is located. The olfactory response and host plant acceptance by the CAL have not been studied in detail thus far. In this work, the olfactory response of the CAL to odor of various plant species was evaluated using an olfactometer test system. In addition, the host plant acceptance was assessed by the consumption of leaf area. Results showed that the CAL was highly attracted to odor of Pisonia aculeata. Evaluation of host plant acceptance showed that the CAL fed on Leucaena glauca and Waltheria americana, but not on P. aculeata or Guazuma ulmifolia. Analysis of leaf thickness, and leaf content of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) showed that the CAL was attracted to plant species with low leaf C content.
authors.affiliation: División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Km 16.3, antigua carretera Mérida-Motul, C.P. 97345, Conkal, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Poot-Pech
authors.affiliation: División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Km 16.3, antigua carretera Mérida-Motul, C.P. 97345, Conkal, Yucatán, México. esauruizmx@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Km 16.3, antigua carretera Mérida-Motul, C.P. 97345, Conkal, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ballina-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gamboa-Angulo
authors.affiliation: División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Km 16.3, antigua carretera Mérida-Motul, C.P. 97345, Conkal, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reyes-Ramírez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006110:Grasshoppers; D006927:Hymenoptera; D009584:Nitrogen; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010944:Plants; D012903:Smell; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Host selection; insect–plant interaction; leaf traits; olfactometer