Comparison of the olfactory sensitivity of two sympatric steppe grasshopper species (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to plant volatile compounds

Two Oedipodinae grasshopper species Oedaleus decorus asiaticus B.-Bienko and Angaracris baraben-sis Pall. (Orthoptera: Acrididae) are important pests on the natural grasslands in Inner Mongolia and often require insecticide treatment during outbreaks1]. They both prefer overgrazed steppes and xerophytous habi-tats, and have thus been suggested as indicator species for steppe deterioration in typical steppe zones of In-ner Mongolia2]. The two species have a sympatric distribution and sync…

Comparison of the olfactory sensitivity of two sympatric steppe grasshopper species (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to plant volatile compounds

Electroantennogram (EAG) responses of male and female Oedipodinae grasshop-pers, Oedaleus decorus asiaticus B.-Bienko and Angaracris barabensis Pall to 37 plant volatile compounds were recorded. The two species have sympatric distribution and synchronous sea-sonal activity in Inner Mongolia Grasslands. They have different host plant preference with Oedaleus decorus asiaticus graminivorous and A. barabensis forbivorous. The EAG response profiles to 37 compounds of the two species and their both sexes were similar. Most of the green leaf volatiles elicited higher EAG responses in both species and sexes than terpenic compounds and some aromatic compounds. Strong EAG responses were elicited by 6-carbon alcohols (1-hexanol, Z-hexen-2-ol-1, E-2-hexen-1-ol, E-hexen-3-ol-1), aldehyde (E-2-hexen-1-al), ester (Z-hexen-3-yl acetate), and 7-carbon alcohols (1-heptanol) in both species and sexes. Monoterpenes with functional groups of alcohols and aldehydes were more stimulating than other monoterpenes tested. The sesquiterpenes tested elicited relatively low responses. Ben-zaldehyde elicited the highest responses for both species among aromatic components. Oedaleus decorus asiaticus showed higher EAG responses than A. barabensis to the green leaf volatiles, 1-decanol, 1-nonanol, 1-pentanol, hexanal, Z-hexen-3-yl acetate and to the sesquiter-penes (-)-trans-caryophyllene. Males have higher responses than females in Oedaleus decorus asiaticus. No sexual difference was observed in A. barabensis. Dose-dependent responses to six selected chemicals were observed from females. In both species, all the chemicals tested elicit EAG responses at concentration between 10-3 mol/L and 10-2 mol/L, except that the responses of A. barabensis to terpineol had a threshold concentration of 10-2 mol/L benzaldehyde and 1-hexanol had the highest slopes in dose curves, while 1-octen-3-ol showed the smallest slope in responses to the six chemicals tested. Comparative studies on the responses of two antennal sections and the whole antenna to six selected chemicals were carried out using females of both species. A significant EAG response was only recorded from the distal part of the antenna and not from the proximal seven segments.