Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Attractant volatiles from female pear psylla were identified and synthesized. Laboratory and field tests confirmed that the synthesized product was attractive to male pear psylla. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The research has led to the first identification of an attractant sex pheromone in any member of the Psyllidae.
Publications
- Guedot, C., D.R. Horton and P.J. Landolt. 2009. Attraction of male winterform pear psylla to female-produced volatiles and to female extracts and evidence of male-male repellency. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 130: 191-197.
- Guedot, C., J.G. Millar, D.R. Horton, and P.J. Landolt. 2009. Identification of a sex attractant pheromone for male winterform pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola. Journal of Chemical Ecology 35: 1437-1447.
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Progress 09/01/07 to 08/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Volatiles were collected and assayed for attractiveness to male pear psylla. The volatiles were collected as surfaces washes of insects and as headspace collections. Males were attracted to the crude extracts in olfactometer assays. A comparison of chromatograms from female- and male-washes led to identification of chemicals present in female but not male washes. Those chemicals were assayed in the olfactometer and found to be attractive to males. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Assays have led to the discovery of specific chemicals that are attractive to male pear psylla, and may lead eventually to the first identification of a sex pheromone in any psyllid.
Publications
- Horton, D.R., C. Guedot and P.J. Landolt. 2008. Attraction of male summerform pear psylla to volatiles from female pear psylla: effects of female age, mating status, and presence of host plant. Canadian Entomologist 140: 184-191.
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Progress 09/01/06 to 08/31/07
Outputs
Life history characteristics of female and male pear psylla that affect female attractiveness to males were identified using a series of olfactometer assays. Diapause status and age affected female attractiveness. Mating status of females did not affect attractiveness. Males were attracted to females even in the absence of the host plant. Field-collected females, freshly killed, were also attractive to males, again demonstrating that the host plant need not be present to have production of chemical volatiles that attract males. Efforts are underway to collect volatiles from females, with objectives to identify the attractants.
Impacts
Behavioral assays will define the life history characteristics in female pear psylla that lead to attraction of males. Volatiles will next be collected from females having those specific characteristics that lead to male attraction, for eventual identification of the chemicals that mediate male attraction.
Publications
- Horton, D.R., and Landolt, P.J. 2007. Attraction of male pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola, to female-infested pear shoots. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 123: 177-183.
- Horton, D.R., Guedot, C. and Landolt, P.J. 2007. Diapause status of females affects attraction of male pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola, to volatiles from female-infested pear shoots. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 123: 185-192.
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