Foraging wireworms are attracted to root-produced volatile aldehydes |
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| Authors: | Fanny Barsics Benjamin M Delory Pierre Delaplace Frédéric Francis Marie-Laure Fauconnier Éric Haubruge François J Verheggen |
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| Institution: | 1.Unit of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech,University of Liège,Gembloux,Belgium;2.Unit of Plant Biology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech,University of Liège,Gembloux,Belgium;3.Unit of General and Organic Chemistry, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech,University of Liège,Gembloux,Belgium;4.Ecosystem Functioning and Services, Institute of Ecology,Leuphana University,Lüneburg,Germany |
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| Abstract: | Soil-dwelling insects are known to react to chemical cues they encounter in the rhizosphere. Whether wireworms (Coleoptera, Elateridae) use root-emitted volatile organic chemicals to localize their host plant remains, however, poorly understood. Here, we aimed at identifying chemical cues released by barley roots that attract Agriotes sordidus. In a first behavioral experiment, we assessed the ability of wireworms to orient towards live barley roots, using dual-choice olfactometers suitable for belowground insects. Then, we collected the volatile organic compounds (VOC) produced by barley roots using a dynamic head-space sampling approach. VOC were quantified and identified using gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The odorant blend is composed of four aldehydes, namely hexanal, (E)-hex-2-enal, (E)-non-2-enal, and (E,Z)-nona-2,6-dienal. In a second set of dual-choice bioassays, wireworms were attracted towards a synthetic blend of these four major compounds. However, the synthetic blend was not as attractive as live roots, which is partially explained by the absence of CO2, commonly known as a strong attractant for soil-dwelling insects. While CO2 indicates the presence of living material in the vicinity, we hypothesize that additional VOC inform about the plant suitability. A better understanding of these belowground signals would contribute to the development of new integrated control strategies against wireworms. |
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