(Z)-3-Dodecenoic acid Is the main component of full-body n-hexane extracts from two Acacia gall-inducing thrips (Thysanoptera) and may function as an alarm pheromone
Author
Summary, in English
A major interest in the gall-inducing thrips of Australia began with the discovery that some species have eusocial colonies. The origin of social castes remains one of the outstanding questions in evolutionary biology. The inference of the ancestral stage from study of solitary species is important to understanding the evolutionary history of semiochemicals in social species. Here we investigated two solitary species, Kladothrips nicolsoni and K rugosus. Whole body extracts revealed that (Z)-3-dodecenoic acid, here reported for the first time in a thrips species, is the main component. (Z)-3-Dodecenoic acid and (E)-3-dodecenoic acid were synthesized in high stereoisomeric purity (> 99.8%) and exposed to K nicolsoni 2nd-instar larvae in a contact chemoreception bioassay to test for potential bioactivity. Both isomers decreased the average time spent in the treated area per entry suggesting repellence at the tested dose. (Z)-3-Dodecenoic acid may function as alarm pheromone. (E)-3-Dodecenoic acid increased also the absolute change in direction of larvae compared to an n-hexane control and could potentially function as a repellent.
Department/s
Publishing year
2014
Language
English
Pages
335-345
Publication/Series
Zeitschrift fuer Naturforschung. Section C: A Journal of Biosciences
Volume
69
Issue
7-8
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung
Topic
- Zoology
Keywords
- Kladothrips
- Semiochemicals
Status
Published
Project
- Chemical ecology of social insects
Research group
- Pheromone Group
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0939-5075