Neonate Plutella xylostella responses to surface wax components of a resistant cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Journal of Chemical Ecology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020812411015· OSTI ID:290112

Eigenbrode, S D; Pillai, S K ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Entomology

Behavior of neonate Plutella xylostella was observed and quantified during the first 5 min of contact with cabbage surface waxes and surface wax components deposited as a film (60 {micro}g/cm{sup 2}) on glass. The time larvae spent biting was greater and the time walking was less on waxes extracted from the susceptible cabbage variety, Round-Up, than on an insect-resistant glossy-wax breeding line, NY 9472. The waxes of both cabbage types were characterized and some of the compounds present at higher concentrations in the glossy waxes were tested for their deterrent effects on larvae by adding them to the susceptible waxes. Adding a mixture of four n-alkane-1-ols or a mixture of {alpha}- and {beta}-amyrins to wax from susceptible cabbage reduced the number of insects biting and, among those biting, reduced the time biting and increased the time walking in a dose-dependent manner. Among individual n-alkane-1-ols, adding C{sub 24} or C{sub 25} alcohols reduced the number of insects biting but only adding C{sub 25} alcohol reduced the time spent biting among those insects that initiated biting. Adding a mixture of five n-alkanoic acids did not affect biting, but increased the time spent palpating and decreased walking time. Among individual n-alkanoic acids, only adding C{sub 14} significantly increased the time palpating. If the observed responses were gustory, the results indicate that some primary wax components, including specific long-chain alkyl components, have allelochemical activity influencing host acceptance behavior by a lepidopteran larva.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 290112
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Ecology, Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Ecology Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 24; ISSN JCECD8; ISSN 0098-0331
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
BRASSICA
CROPS
DISEASE RESISTANCE
HOST
INSECTS
PLANT DISEASES
TERPENES