Abstract
The mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla robusta (Moore) (Lepidoptera Pyralidae), is a serious pest insect in the tropical forests of Africa, Asia and Australia. This insect causes multiple branching of young shoots in indigenous mahogany plantations. Gravid insects are attracted to oviposition sites by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by their hosts. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to (i) identify and characterise the VOCs released by the shoots of Entandrophragma and Khaya mahogany and (ii) to determine the electrophysiologically active VOCs which could influence the olfactory response of H. robusta. Volatile samples were collected from shoots of Entandrophragma angolense (Welwitsch) de Candolle, Entandrophragma utile (Dawe et Sprague) Sprague, Khaya anthotheca (Welwitsch) de Candolle and Khaya ivorensis Chevalier by closed-loop-stripping-analysis. The VOCs were identified by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) and characterised by comparing their retention times with those of authentic standards. For the first time, 29 VOCs were characterised as typical of the four mahogany species studied. The VOCs included alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, esters, ketones, monoterpenes, alcohol sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The majority were esters (10) and sesquiterpenes (8). GC-MS/electroantennographic detection experiments revealed antennal responses of the female moth to (Z)-β-ocimene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, hexan-1-ol, nonanal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl butanoate, 2-ethyl hexan-1-ol, decanal, β-caryophyllene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl hexanoate and germacrene D. Dose-response experiments with three of the compounds revealed antennal responses at concentrations of 10-7 to 10-2. We therefore suggest that these compounds are olfactory cues of female H. robusta and could be used in behaviour-based control of H. robusta. The mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla robusta (Moore) (Lepidoptera Pyralidae), is a serious pest insect in the tropical forests of Africa, Asia and Australia. This insect causes multiple branching of young shoots in indigenous mahogany plantations. Gravid insects are attracted to oviposition sites by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by their hosts. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to (i) identify and characterise the VOCs released by the shoots of Entandrophragma and Khaya mahogany and (ii) to determine the electrophysiologically active VOCs which could influence the olfactory response of H. robusta. Volatile samples were collected from shoots of Entandrophragma angolense (Welwitsch) de Candolle, Entandrophragma utile (Dawe et Sprague) Sprague, Khaya anthotheca (Welwitsch) de Candolle and Khaya ivorensis Chevalier by closed-loop-stripping-analysis. The VOCs were identified by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) and characterised by comparing their retention times with those of authentic standards. For the first time, 29 VOCs were characterised as typical of the four mahogany species studied. The VOCs included alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, esters, ketones, monoterpenes, alcohol sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The majority were esters (10) and sesquiterpenes (8). GC-MS/electroantennographic detection experiments revealed antennal responses of the female moth to (Z)-β-ocimene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, hexan-1-ol, nonanal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl butanoate, 2-ethyl hexan-1-ol, decanal, β-caryophyllene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl hexanoate and germacrene D. Dose-response experiments with three of the compounds revealed antennal responses at concentrations of 10-7 to 10-2. We therefore suggest that these compounds are olfactory cues of female H. robusta and could be used in behaviour-based control of H. robusta.