Effect of the entomopathogenic fungus, Entomophthora muscae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthoraceae), on sex pheromone and other cuticular hydrocarbons of the house fly, Musca domestica

House fly ( Musca domestica) males are highly attracted to dead female flies infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophthora muscae. Because males orient to the larger abdomen of infected flies, both visual and chemical cues may be responsible for the heightened attraction to infected flies....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of invertebrate pathology 2002-07, Vol.80 (3), p.171-176
Main Authors: Zurek, Ludek, Wes Watson, D, Krasnoff, Stuart B, Schal, Coby
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alkenes - metabolism
Animals
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Copulation
Cuticular hydrocarbons
Entomophthora - physiology
Entomophthora muscae
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Houseflies - metabolism
Houseflies - microbiology
Hydrocarbons - metabolism
Male
Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control
Musca domestica
Nuisances
Sex pheromone
Zygomycosis - metabolism
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Summary:House fly ( Musca domestica) males are highly attracted to dead female flies infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophthora muscae. Because males orient to the larger abdomen of infected flies, both visual and chemical cues may be responsible for the heightened attraction to infected flies. Our behavioral assays demonstrated that the attraction is sex-specific—males were attracted more to infected females than to infected males, regardless of cadaver size. We examined the effect of E. muscae on the main component of the house fly sex pheromone, ( Z)-9-tricosene, and other cuticular hydrocarbons including n-tricosane, n-pentacosane, ( Z)-9-heptacosene, and total hydrocarbons of young (7 days old) and old (18 days old) virgin females. Young E. muscae-infected female flies accumulated significantly less sex pheromone and other hydrocarbons on their cuticular surface than uninfected females, whereas the cuticular hydrocarbons of older flies were unaffected by fungus infection. These results suggest that chemical cues other than ( Z)-9-tricosene, visual cues other than abdomen size, or a combination of both sets of cues might be responsible for attraction of house fly males to E. muscae-infected females.
ISSN:0022-2011
1096-0805
DOI:10.1016/S0022-2011(02)00109-X