Discrimination among pheromone component blends by interneurons in male antennal lobes of two populations of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum.

Abstract

A difference in female pheromone production and male behavioral response has previously been found in two populations of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum, originating from Sweden and Zimbabwe, respectively. In this study, we investigated the pheromone response of antennal lobe interneurons of males of the two populations by intracellular recordings, stimulating with single pheromone components and various inter-and intra-populational pheromone blends. Three major physiological types of antennal lobe neurons were established in the two populations according to their responses to different stimuli. One type responded broadly to almost all the stimuli tested. The second type responded selectively to some of the single components and blends. The third type did not respond to any single components but did respond to certain blends. Furthermore, some neurons of the second and third type recognized strain specific differences in ratios between pheromone components. Both projection neurons and local interneurons were found among these three types. Two pheromone responding bilateral projection neurons are reported for the first time in this paper.

Coding and interaction of sex pheromone and plant volatile signals in the antennal lobe of the codling moth Cydia pomonella

“…Pheromone blend-specific neurons have been described in several moth species (Hansson and Anton, 2000;Vickers et al, 1998;Wu et al, 1996). A synergistic blend interaction of codlemone and dodecanol in the AL confirms a behavioural role of the saturated alcohol, which is an ingredient of commercial mating disruption formulations Witzgall et al, 2008).…”

Function and Morphology of the Antennal Lobe: New Developments

“…One neuron displayed the opposite response pattern. In the African population, four blendspecific neurons responded to the African blend, while six were excited exclusively by the European blend (148). These differences are interesting in an ecological and evolutionary perspective.…”

“…When responses of AL neurons were investigated in the two races, neurons displaying blend interactions were found in both (148). In the European population 58% of the neurons showed interactions.…”

Ordinary glomeruli in the antennal lobe of male and female tortricid moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) process sex pheromone and host-plant volatiles

“…Anton and Hansson, 1994;Anton et al, 1997;Christensen et al, 1991;Heinbockel et al, 2004;Wu et al, 1996). Male specialist and generalist (responding to three pheromone components) neurons tuned to the main pheromone component were in approximately equal proportions, but in females, generalist neurons were more abundant.…”