ELECTROANTENNOGRAM RESPONSES OF MALE HELIOTHIS VIRESCENS TO COMPONENTS OF THE SEX PHEROMONE OF THE FEMALE

摘要

The antennal responses of male Heliothis virescens to seven potential sex pheromone components were studied using the electroantennogran technique. The primary sex pheromone components, Z-11-hexadecenal and Z-9-tetradecenal, produced stimulus response curves which indicated that some component of antennal response appeared to saturate at stimulus intensities much lower than those necessary for maximal antennal response. It was hypothesized that these responses were produced by specialized olfactory receptors specific for these two chemicals. Intense stimulation with either compound reduced that component of antennal response which saturated at lower stimulus intensities, indicating adaptation of the specialized receptors. Responses to these chemicals appeared to be additive, and adaptation with one component did not adapt responses to the other, indicating dual receptor types. A third component, Z-9-hexadecenal, appeared to interact with receptors of both primary components, since adaptation with either Z-11-hexadecenal or Z-9-tetradecenal reduced subsequent responses to Z-9-hexadecenal. The other four compounds (Z-7-hexadecenal, hexadecnnal, tetradecanal, and Z-11-hexadecen-1-ol) showed no evidence of interaction with specialized receptors as did the primary sex pheromone components and Z-9-hexadecenal.