Abstract
Chemically mediated host location in the eulophid parasitoidAprostocetus hagenowii (Ratzeburg) was investigated. In Y-tube bioassays 77.6% of female parasitoids responded to aPeriplaneta americana (L.) ootheca; parasitoids did not respond to air with no volatile stimuli. Frass from adult cockroaches was as attractive as an ootheca. Bioassay of one ootheca equivalent of five lipid fractions (eluted with hexane and 1, 5, 10, and 30% ether in hexane) from silica gel column chromatography indicated that the active component was a hydrocarbon. Further separation and bioassay of oothecal hydrocarbons by AgNO3-impregnated silica gel column chromatography indicated that the biological activity was in one fraction. Gas chromatographic (GC) analysis of this fraction revealed a single peak; this peak was identified by researchers in 1963, 1969, and 1972 as (Z,Z)-6,9-heptacosadiene. Qualitative and quantitative GC analyses of total hydrocarbons from oothecae, frass, and adult females were essentially identical; 6,9-heptacosadiene was the dominant hydrocarbon from each source. The alkadiene was 37 times more abundant in frass than on the ootheca. The volatilization of the alkadiene from oothecae was demonstrated by aeration and trapping on Super Q adsorbent. The current study is the first evidence for biological activity of (Z,Z)-6,9-heptacosadiene, a major hydrocarbon component on adult female American cockroaches, on their oothecae, and in their frass.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Antony, C., andJallon, J. M. 1982. The chemical basis for sex recognition inDrosophila melanogaster.J. Insect Physiol. 28:873–880.
Antony, C., Davis, T. L., Carlson, D. A., Pechine, J. W., andJallon, J. M. 1985. Compared behavorial responses of maleDrosophila melanogaster (Canton S) to natural and synthetic aphrodisiacs.J. Chem. Ecol. 11:1617–1629.
Auger, J., LeComte, C., Paris, J., andThibout, E. 1989. Identification of leek-moth and diamondback-moth volatiles that stimulate parasitoid,Diadromus pulchellus.J. Chem. Ecol. 15:1391–1398.
Baker, G. L., Vroman, H. E., andPadmore, J. 1963. Hydrocarbons of the American cockroach.Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 13:360–365.
Bartelt, R. J., Jones, R. L., andKulman, H. M. 1982. Hydrocarbon components of the yellow-headed spruce sawfly sex pheromone: A series of (Z,Z)-9,19-dienes.J. Chem. Ecol. 8:95–114.
Beatty, I. M., andGilby, A. R. 1969. The major hydrocarbon of a cockroach cuticular wax.Naturwissenshaften 25:373.
Brill, J. H., andBertsch, W. 1985. An investigation of sampling methods for the analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons.J. Entomol. Sci. 20:435–443.
Cameron, E. 1955. On the parasites and predators of the cockroach. I.Tetrastichus hagenowii (Ratz.).Bull. Entomol. Res. 46:137–147.
Cardé, R. T., andLee, H. 1989. Effect of experience on the responses of the parasitoidBrachymeria intermedia (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) to its host,Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), and to kairomone.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 82:653–657.
Carlson, D. A., andService, M. W. 1980. Identification of mosquitoes ofAnopheles gambiae species complex A & B by analysis of cuticular components.Science 207:1089–1091.
Carroll, K. K. 1961. Separation of lipid classes by chromatography on florisil.J. Lipid Res. 2:135–141.
Cornwell, P. B. 1968. The Cockroach—Volume I: A Laboratory Insect and an Industrial Pest. Hutchinson, London.
Edmunds, L. R. 1955. Biological notes onTetrastichus hagenowii (Ratzeburg), a chalcidoid parasite of cockroach eggs (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae; Orthoptera: Blattidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 48:210–213.
Fukushima, J., Kuwahara, Y., andSuzuki, T. 1989. Isolation and identification of a kairomone responsible for the stinging behavior ofBracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from frass of the almond mothCadra cautella Walker.Agric. Biol. Chem. 53:3057–3059.
Gilby, A. R., andCox, M. E. 1963. The cuticular lipids of the cockroach,Periplaneta americana (L.).J. Insect Physiol. 9:671–681.
Hagenbuch, B. E., Patterson, R. S., Koehler, P. G., andBrenner, R. J. 1988. Mass production of the cockroach oothecal parasitoid,Tetrastichus hagenowii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and its host, the American cockroach (Orthoptera: Blattidae).J. Econ. Entomol. 81:531–535.
Jackson, L. 1972. Cuticular lipids of insects—IV. Hydrocarbons of the cockroachesPeriplaneta japonica andPeriplaneta americana compared to other cockroach hydrocarbons.Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 41B:331–336.
Jones, R. L., Lewis, W. J., Bowman, M. C., Beroza, M., andBierl, B. A. 1971. Host-seeking stimulant for parasite of corn earworm: Isolation, identification, and synthesis.Science 173:842–843.
Jones, R. L., Lewis, W. J., Beroza, M., Bierl, B. A., andSparks, A. N. 1973. Host-seeking stimulants (kairomones) for the egg parasite,Trichogramma evanescens.Environ. Entomol. 2:593–596.
Leonard, D. E., Wu, Z., andFerro, D. N. 1987. Responses of parasiteEdovum puttleri to kairomone from eggs of Colorado potato beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata.J. Chem. Ecol. 13:335–344.
Lewis, W. J., Jones, R. L., andSparks, A. N. 1972. A host seeking stimulant for the egg parasiteTrichogramma evanescens: Its source and a demonstration of its laboratory and field activity.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 65:1087–1089.
Lewis, W. J., Jones, R. L., Nordlund, D. A., andSparks, A. N. 1975. Kairomones and their use for management of entomophagous insects: I. Evaluation for increasing rates of parasitization byTrichogramma spp. in the field.J. Chem. Ecol. 1:343–347.
McDonough, L. M., Bailey, J. B., Hoffmann, M. P., Leonhardt, B. A., Brown, D. F., Smithhisler, C. L., andOlsen, K. 1986.Sabulodes caberata Guenée (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) components of its sex pheromone gland.J. Chem. Ecol. 12:2107–2116.
Mudd, A. 1981. Novel 2-acylcyclohexane-1,3-diones in the mandibular glands of Lepidoptera larvae.J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 1:2357–2362.
Mudd, A., andCorbet, S. A. 1982. Response of the ichneumonid parasiteNemeritis canescens to kairomones from the flour moth,Ephestia kuehniella.J. Chem. Ecol. 8:843–850.
Mudd, A., Walters, J. H. H., andCorbet, S. A. 1984. Relative kairomonal activities of 2-acylcyclohexane-1,3-diones in eliciting oviposition behavior from parasiteNemeritis canescens (Grav.).J. Chem. Ecol. 10:1597–1601.
Narasimham, A. U. 1984. Comparative studies onTetrastichus hagenowii (Ratzeburg) andT. asthenogmus (Waterston), two primary parasites of cockroach oothecae, and on their hyperparasiteTetrastichus sp. [T. miser (Nees) group] (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).Bull. Entomol. Res. 74:175–189.
Nemoto, T., Kuwahara, Y., andSuzuki, T. 1987a. Interspecific difference inVenturia kairomones in larval feces of four stored phycitid moths.Appl. Entomol. Zool. 22:553–559.
Nemoto, T., Shibuya, M., Kuwahara, Y., andSuzuki, T. 1987b. New 2-acylcyclohexane-1,3-diones: Kairomone components against a parasitic wasp,Venturia canescens, from feces of the almond moth,Cadra cautella, and the Indian meal moth,Plodia interpunctella.Agric. Biol. Chem. 51:1805–1810.
Roth, L. M., andWillis, E. R. 1954. The biology of the cockroach egg parasite,Tetrastichus hagenowii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 80:53–72.
Roth, L. M., andWillis, E. R. 1960. Biotic associations of cockroaches.Smithson. Misc. Collect. 141.
SASInstitute Inc. 1988. SAS/STAT User's Guide, Release 6.03 Edition. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina. 1028 pp.
Shu, S., Swedenborg, P. D., andJones, R. L. 1990. A kairomone forTrichogramma nubilale (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae): Isolation, identification and synthesis.J. Chem. Ecol. 16:521–529.
Szocs, G., Toth, M., Bestmann, H., andVostrowsky, O. 1984. A two-component sex attractant for males of the geometrid mothAlsophila quadripunctata.Entomol. Exp. Appl. 36:287–291.
Van Driesche, R. G., andHulbert, C. 1984. Host acceptance and discrimination byComperia merceti (Compere) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and evidence for an optimal density range for resource utilization.J. Chem. Ecol. 10:1399–1409.
Vander Meer, R. K., Alvarez, F., andLofgren, C. S. 1988. Isolation of the trail recruitment pheromone ofSolenopsis invicta.J. Chem. Ecol. 14:825–838.
Vinson, S. B., andPiper, G. L. 1986. Source and characterization of host recognition kairomones ofTetrastichus hagenowii, a parasitoid of cockroach eggs.Physiol. Entomol. 11:459–468.
Vinson, S. B., Jones, R. L., Sonnet, P. E., Bierl, B. A., andBeroza, M. 1975. Isolation, identification and synthesis of host-seeking stimulants forCardiochiles nigriceps, a parasitoid of tobacco budworm.Entomol. Exp. Appl. 18:443–450.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This article reports the results of research only. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement or a recommendation for its use by the USDA or the University of Florida.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suiter, D.R., Carlson, D.A., Patterson, R.S. et al. Host-location kairomone fromPeriplaneta americana (L.) for parasitoidAprostocetus hagenowii (Ratzeburg). J Chem Ecol 22, 637–651 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02033575
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02033575