Host-plant leaf surface compounds influencing oviposition in Delia antiqua |
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Authors: | Sandrine P Gouinguené Hans-Ruedi Buser Erich Städler |
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Institution: | 1. Agroscope FAW W?denswil, Swiss Federal Research Institute, CH-8820, W?denswil, Switzerland
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Abstract: | Summary. Delia antiqua (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) females lay eggs between the leaves of onion plants or in the soil around the base of the plants,
then the maggots feed on the onion bulb and roots causing rapid secondary infection by fungi and bacteria. It is well known
that the first sensory modality used by the onion fly is vision, therefore the shape (vertical narrow cylinders) and colour
(yellow) of the plant play a crucial role in the recognition of a potential host plant. In the past it has been shown that
n-dipropyl disulfide (Pr2S2), a typical component of onion volatiles, is an important chemical host plant cue. We extracted host leaf surface to verify
if Pr2S2 is the major chemical oviposition stimulant and to determine if other as yet unknown substances may play a role in host-plant
selection. We confirmed that the females laid more eggs around onion plants with leaves than when only the onion bulb was
present and that the odour of chopped onion stimulates oviposition. Extraction of the surface of onion leaves revealed that
only the apolar fraction contained substances that stimulate egg-laying in D. antiqua. GC-EAD analysis indicated that a minor constituent, Pr2S2, is perceived by the olfactory receptor on the antennae of the onion fly females. This confirmed the importance of Pr2S2 as oviposition stimulant. Contact with the polar fraction did not stimulate egg-laying behaviour in this Delia species. We discuss the oviposition strategy of D. antiqua in comparison with its closely related species, D. radicum, in which the oviposition behaviour is stimulated mainly through contact with the cabbage leaf surface and only partially
by the host volatiles. |
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Keywords: | Delia antiqua Allium cepa oviposition behaviour EAG GC-EAD dipropyl disulfide |
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