Identification of communal oviposition pheromones from the black fly Simulium vittatum

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 18;10(3):e0118904. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118904. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The suite of pheromones that promote communal oviposition by Simulium vittatum, a North American black fly species, was identified and characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, electrophysiological, and behavioral bioassays. Behavioral assays demonstrated that communal oviposition was induced by egg-derived compounds that were active at short range and whose effect was enhanced through direct contact. Three compounds (cis-9-tetradecen-1-ol, 1-pentadecene, and 1-tridecene) were identified in a non-polar solvent extract of freshly deposited S. vittatum eggs that were capable of inducing the oviposition response. Electroantennography demonstrated that two of these three compounds (1-pentadecene and 1-tridecene) actively stimulated antennal neurons. Identification of the oviposition pheromones of this family may be helpful in developing control measures for nuisance black flies and for medically-important species such as Simulium damnosum sensu lato.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkenes / analysis
  • Alkenes / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Female
  • Insect Vectors / chemistry
  • Insect Vectors / drug effects
  • Insect Vectors / physiology
  • Male
  • Onchocerciasis, Ocular / transmission
  • Oviposition / drug effects*
  • Ovum / drug effects
  • Ovum / physiology
  • Pheromones / analysis*
  • Pheromones / pharmacology*
  • Simuliidae / chemistry*
  • Simuliidae / drug effects
  • Simuliidae / physiology*
  • Solvents / chemistry

Substances

  • Alkenes
  • Pheromones
  • Solvents

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (grant # 1017870). The funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.