title: Ultrastructure of sensilla of antennae and ovipositor of Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), and location of female sex pheromone gland.
abstract: The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella, is a serious pest of stored grains worldwide. Presently, the best effective control against the moth is to disrupt the sexual communication between sexes. Sexual communication in moths includes two processes in which females produce and release pheromones from the sex pheromone gland and males detect and respond to them with a relatively sophisticated olfactory system in their antennae. To better understand these processes, we studied the ultrastructure of antennal and ovipositor sensilla of S. cerealella and determined the location of the female sex pheromone gland. Seven types of antennal sensilla were identified on both sexes: sensilla trichodea, sensilla chaetica, sensilla coeloconica, sensilla styloconica, sensilla auricillica, sensilla squamiformia and Bӧhm bristles. Of these sensilla, the sensilla trichodea were significantly more abundant on male antennae than on those of females, suggesting that these sensilla may detect the sex pheromones. On the ovipositor, only sensilla chaetica of various lengths were found. The sexual gland was an eversible sac of glandular epithelium that was situated dorsally in the intersegmental membrane between the 8thand 9thabdominal segments. These results will lead to a better understanding of mate finding with sex pheromones for this worldwide pest species.
authors.affiliation: Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Meng-Meng
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feng-Lian
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010058:Oviposition; D012543:Scent Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D058618:Sensilla / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants