Olfactory behavioral responses of two Drosophila species and their pupal parasitoid to volatiles from bananas

Abstract

BackgroundBehavior‐based manipulation is an essential part of Drosophila integrated pest management (IPM). Effective compounds are useful for improving the efficiency of baits and the development of attract‐and‐kill or push–pull strategies to manage Drosophila populations. Here, we investigated the olfactory behavior of two Drosophila species, as well as their pupal parasitoid, to volatiles from bananas, for the identification of effective compounds to control fly populations.ResultsThe results showed that overripe bananas were most attractive to both flies, with a higher attraction index (AI) in Drosophila melanogaster than in Drosophila suzukii. The profiles of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from bananas with three different ripening stages were compared, and six VOCs were selected for behavioral tests. D. suzukii showed significantly different responses to isoamyl alcohol with D. melanogaster. The effects of ethyl butyrate and ethyl isovalerate on the two flies were dose‐dependent, with lower concentrations acting as repellent and higher concentrations acting as attractant. Isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate and isoamyl isovalerate (0.005–0.05% v/v) were attractive to both flies. The parasitoid wasp Pachycrepoidus vindemmiae was repelled by isoamyl alcohol and ethyl butyrate, and attracted by ethyl isovalerate, but showed no significant response to isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate and isoamyl isovalerate at the tested concentration.ConclusionThis study indicated that the behavioral response of Drosophila to the odor of chemical compounds is dose‐dependent. Isoamyl alcohol and isoamyl acetate at certain concentrations could be used as repellents, whereas ethyl isovalerate as an attractant in control strategy design for D. suzukii. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Host Volatiles Potentially Drive Two Evolutionarily Related Weevils to Select Different Grains

“…Maize weevil prefers maize while rice weevil prefers wheat if choices are available. It has been long known that insects use chemical cues to locate food sources and mates [16,[30][31][32][33]. Volatiles from hosts and the chemosensory system in insects are crucial in plant-insect interactions [34][35][36].…”

Volatile Organic Compounds of Wickerhamomyces anomalus Prevent Postharvest Black Spot Disease in Tomato

“…Isoamyl acetate is the main organic compound in the volatile compounds of W. anomalus , accounting for 40.4%. It has been found that isoamyl acetate is one of the volatile metabolites of some fruits and vegetables, such as bananas [ 21 ], peaches [ 22 ], yeast (ascomycetes yeasts [ 23 ]), and bacillus, and isoamyl acetate has been confirmed to have antibacterial activity. The isoamyl acetate was the primary volatile substance in Bacillus subtilis Y8, and isoamyl acetate inhibited the germination of conidia of Curvularia lunata and increased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in pathogenic bacteria [ 24 ].…”