Nursery Pollination by a Moth in Silene latifolia: The Role of Odours in Eliciting Antennal and Behavioural Responses

• Published in: The New phytologist 2006-01, Vol.169 (4), p.707-718
• Main Authors: Dötterl, S., Jürgens, A., Seifert, K., Laube, T., Weiβbecker, B., Schütz, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetates; Alcohols; Aldehydes; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Behavior, Animal; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Caryophyllaceae; Chemical ecology; Female; floral scent; Flowers; Flowers - chemistry; Flowers - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GC–EAD (gas chromatography coupled to electroantennographic detection); Hadena; Hadena bicruris; Insect antennae; Isomers; lilac aldehydes; Male; moth attraction; Moths; Moths - anatomy & histology; Moths - physiology; Odorants; Organic Chemicals - analysis; Organic Chemicals - chemistry; Plant physiology and development; Plants; Plants and fungi; Pollen - physiology; Pollination; Sexual reproduction; Silene - chemistry; Silene - physiology; Silene latifolia; Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification; wind tunnel
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01509.x

• Since the 1970s it has been known that the nursery pollinator Hadena bicruris is attracted to the flowers of its most important host plant, Silene latifolia, by their scent. Here we identified important compounds for attraction of this noctuid moth. • Gas Chromatographic and electroantennographic methods were used to detect compounds eliciting signals in the antennae of the moth. Electrophysiologically active compounds were tested in wind-tunnel bioassays to foraging naïve moths, and the attractivity of these compounds was compared with that to the natural scent of whole S. latifolia flowers. • The antennae of moths detected substances of several classes. Phenylacetaldehyde elicited the strongest signals in the antennae, but lilac aldehydes were the most attractive compounds in wind-tunnel bioassays and attracted 90% of the moths tested, as did the scent of single flowers. • Our results show that the most common and abundant floral scent compounds in S. latifolia, lilac aldehydes, attracted most of the moths tested, indicating a specific adaptation of H. bicruris to its host plant.