Differences in Male Mate Recognition between the Invasive Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Japanese Native A. malasiaca

Abstract

The Asian longicorn beetle Anoplophora glabripennis is a recently arrived invasive species to Japan. The Japanese native A. malasiaca shows an extensive overlap with A. glabripennis with host plants, niches, and emergence season. Hybridization between these two species is suspected in Japan. The surface of the female is covered with contact sex pheromones that elicit male mating behavior within species. We evaluated the contact pheromonal activity of crude extract and fractions of female A. glabripennis coated on a black glass model and revealed a hydrocarbon fraction and a blend of fractions to show activity but relatively weak, suggesting the presence of other unknown active compounds. Few male A. glabripennis showed mating behavior when they were exposed to a crude extract of female A. malasiaca. However, a considerable number of A. malasiaca males mounted and showed abdominal bending behavior when presented with glass models that were coated with each extract of female A. glabripennis and A. malasiaca. Gomadalactones are essential contact pheromone components that elicit mating behavior in male A. malasiaca; however, we could not detect them in female A. glabripennis extract. Here, we investigated the possible reasons for this phenomenon and the difference in male mate recognition systems between these two species.

Is there hybridization between 2 species of the same genus in sympatry?—The genetic relationships between Anoplophora glabripennis, Anoplophora chinensis, and putative hybrids

“…In 2020, an outbreak of ALB occurred in Japan that caused substantial damage to Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Ulmus parvifolia, Aesculus turbinate, and Salix spp. (Sunamura et al, 2022;Yasui et al, 2023).…”

“…JCLB is from Japan and has recently been synonymized with CLB. Since gomadalactones are essential contact pheromone components that induce JCLB males mating behavior and ALB females have gomadalactone derivatives JCLB males may recognize ALB females as potential mates (Yasui et al, 2023). However, Sunamura et al (2022) found that mating between Japanese field-collected ALB and JCLB was unsuccessful.…”

“…Since gomadalactones are essential contact pheromone components that induce JCLB males mating behavior and ALB females have gomadalactone derivatives JCLB males may recognize ALB females as potential mates (Yasui et al. , 2023). However, Sunamura et al.…”