Disruption of aggregation behaviour of oriental migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria manilensis) infected with Nosema locustae

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Publication Date

10-4-2017

Abstract

Many insects mark their oviposition sites with a host marking pheromone (HMP) to deter other females from overexploiting these sites. Previous studies have identified and used HMPs to manage certain fruit fly species; however, few are known for African indigenous fruit flies. The HMP of the African fruit fly, Ceratitis cosyra, was identified as the ubiquitous plant and animal antioxidant tripeptide, glutathione (GSH). GSH was isolated from the aqueous extract of adult female fecal matter and characterized by LC-QTOF-MS. GSH level increased with increasing age of female fecal matter, with highest concentration detected from 2-week-old adult females. Additionally, GSH levels were 5-10-times higher in fecal matter than in the ovipositor or hemolymph extracts of females. In bioassays, synthetic GSH reduced oviposition responses in conspecifics of C. cosyra and the heterospecific species C. rosa, C. fasciventris, C. capitata, and Zeugodacus cucurbitae. These results represent the first report of a ubiquitous antioxidant as a semiochemical in insects and its potential use in fruit fly management.

Keywords

Ceratitis cosyra, Fruit fly, Host marking pheromone, Ovipositional deterrent

PubMed ID

28911226

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