Identification of the Female Sex Pheromone of Grammodes Geometrica (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Erebinae).

The female sex pheromone of Grammodes geometrica (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Erebinae) was identified as a 2:100:4 mixture of (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-icosatriene (T20), (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene (T21), and (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-tricosatriene (T23) through chemical and electrophysiological analyses of female gland extracts. T23 is a novel sex pheromone component in Erebinae species. Field trapping tests demonstrated optimal male captures in attractant-baited traps when using a 2:100:4 blend of T20, T21 and T23, with a significant decrease in captures observed when T20 or T23 were removed from the full blend. Traps were set in early August, but males began to be captured in early September. The seasonal prevalence showed a bimodal peak, occurring on September 11 and October 9. These findings provide valuable insights into the chemical communication and ecological dynamics of this species within the subfamily Erebinae.

Identification of the female sex pheromone of Bastilla arctotaenia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae).

(3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene was identified as a major component of female sex pheromone of Bastilla arctotaenia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), a pest of cultivated roses, by gas chromatograph-electroantennographic detector( GC-EAD) and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. The single (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene (1.0 mg/lure) successfully attracted B. arctotaenia males in the field.

Description and phylogenetic placement of a new species of Patania (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) resembling P. harutai (Inoue, 1955).

Patania harutai (Inoue, 1955) was known to be the mixture of two species that use host plants from two different families, Styracaceae and Sapindaceae, but the type materials had not been examined until now. In this study, we confirm the identity of P. harutai based on the adult external characters of the holotype. As a result, we regard the Sapindaceae-feeding species to be true P. harutai, and describe the Styracaceae-feeding species as a novel species, P. crepuscularia sp. nov. Patania gorosoe Lee, Heo & Bae, 2022 syn.n. is treated as a junior synonym of P. harutai. In addition, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis using 10 Japanese Patania species, and found that P. crepuscularia and P. harutai are not sister species although they are very similar in the adult external characters.

Cell death and wing reduction during the metamorphosis of sex-specific flightless morphs in winter geometrid moths.

Winter geometrid moths show striking sexual dimorphism by having female-specific flightless morphs. The evolutionary grades of wing reduction in winter geometrid moths vary and range from having short wings, vestigial wings, to being wingless. Although the ontogenetic processes underlying the development of the wingless or short-wing morphs in Lepidoptera has been well studied, the mechanisms underlying the development of vestigial wing morphs in winter geometrid moths during metamorphosis are poorly understood. In the winter geometrid moth Sebastosema bubonaria Warren, 1896, the males have functional wings, but the females have vestigial wings. Here, we studied the ontogenetic processes affecting wing reduction in the winter geometrid moth S. bubonaria using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and compared the ontogenetic process of wing reduction in this species with that in another species of the wingless-female winter moth that we investigated previously. Our results showed that, in the vestigial-wing morphs, the loss of pupal wing epithelium was terminated in the middle of the wing degeneration process, whereas in the wingless morph, the pupal wing epithelium disappeared almost completely and the final appearance of the wings differed slightly among flightless morphs. We propose that the extent and location of cell death in the pupal wing play an important role in the various patterns of reduced wings that are observed in flightless moths.

Behavioral Comparison in Males of Two Praying Mantis Species of the Same Genus, Hierodula patellifera and H. chinensis (Mantodea: Mantidae: Hierodulinae) in Japan, in Response to the Conspecific or Allospecific Species of Calling Females and Females' Headspace Crude Extract.

For many years, only one species of praying mantis in the genus Hierodula, Hierodula patellifera Serville, had been recorded in Japan. In recent years, however, Hierodula chinensis Werner, a larger species than H. patellifera Serville, has been discovered in Japan, and observations and collections in Japan have increased rapidly. There are reports that in some areas, H. patellifera became locally extinct due to the invasion of H. chinensis. Since females of H. patellifera attract conspecific males by volatile with characteristic calling behavior, a sex pheromone-mediated reproductive interference may exist between the two species. Both males of H. patellifera and males of H. chinensis were strongly attracted to conspecific females and crude headspace extract from conspecific females, while they were not attracted to females of allospecific species or crude headspace extract from allospecific females. These results indicate that sex pheromone-mediated reproductive interference may not exist between H. patellifera and H. chinensis.

DNA barcoding and morphology reveal a new cryptic species of Nagiella (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Spilomelinae) from Japan.

Nagiella tristalis Matsui & Naka, sp. nov. is described from Japan, based on DNA barcoding and morphological evidence. The two species previously known from Japan, N. quadrimaculalis and N. inferior, are diagnosed. Photographs of adults, including male and female genitalia of the three species, are provided.

Functional characterization of the epoxidase gene, Li_epo1 (CYP341B14), involved in generation of epoxyalkene pheromones in the mulberry tiger moth Lemyra imparilis.

Epoxidation of alkenes derived from essential fatty acids is a key step in the biosynthesis of sex pheromones in moth species that utilize alkenyl sex pheromones. The position of the epoxy ring in the pheromone molecule differs depending on the species, thereby conferring diversities on sex pheromones. To date, only one pheromone gland (PG)-specific epoxidase, Hc_epo1 (CYP341B14), has been reported. Hc_epo1, which was identified from an arctiid moth Hyphantria cunea, catalyzes the epoxidation of a double bond at position 9 of the triene, Z3,Z6,Z9-21:H. In the present study, we investigated the PG-specific epoxidase from another arctiid, the mulberry tiger moth Lemyra imparilis, in order to verify whether cytochrome P450 in the CYP341B subfamily, to which Hc_epo1 belongs to, is responsible for the epoxidation of pheromone precursors at position 9 in moths other than H. cunea. A fragment of the Hc_epo1 homolog was amplified from cDNA prepared from the PG of L. imparilis by PCR with degenerate primers. The deduced amino acid sequence of the subsequently cloned homolog, Li_epo1, showed 88.5% identity to Hc_epo1. A functional assay using the Sf9 insect cell line-baculovirus expression system showed that Li_epo1 exhibited epoxidase activity with high selectivity to the double bond at position 9 of two trienes, Z3,Z6,Z9-21:H and Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H, precursors of epoxy diene sex pheromone components in L. imparilis.

Identification and field attraction of the female sex pheromone of a kiwifruit pest, Nokona feralis (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae).

Female sex pheromone of a clearwing moth Nokona feralis (Leech) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), a pest of kiwifruit, was identified to be a 7:3 mixture of (3E,13Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl acetate (E3,Z13-18:OAc) and (3E,13Z)-3,13-octadecadien-1-ol (E3,Z13-18:OH) by GC-EAD and GC/MS analyses. Males were attracted to wide-range mixtures of E3,Z13-18:OAc and E3,Z13-18:OH, and a 7:3 mixture of those two compounds strongly attracted the males in the field.

Single-Component Pheromone Consisting of Bombykal in a Diurnal Hawk Moth, Neogurelca himachala sangaica.

Recent work has suggested that hawk moths share pheromone components but are sexually separated by qualitative and quantitative differences in their pheromone blends. During field assays on the sex pheromones of other species, a diurnal hawk moth, Neogurelca himachala sangaica (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), was frequently captured, but the composition of the sex pheromone of this species was not known. Analysis of hexane extracts of the pheromone glands of calling female by gas chromatography (GC) using an electroantennographic detector (EAD) revealed two components that elicited EAD responses from male moth antennae. These components were identified by their mass spectra and retention indices on two GC columns as (10E,12Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal (E10,Z12-16:Ald) and a trace of its (10E,12E)-isomer (E10,E12-16:Ald) in 98:2 ratio. In field experiments, E10,Z12-16:Ald alone attracted male moths, and addition of E10,E12-16:Ald significantly reduced the attractiveness, even at the naturally-occurring ratio. Analysis of the data using a generalized linear mixed model showed that E10,Z12-16:Ald positively contributed to attractiveness, whereas E10,E12-16:Ald did so negatively, and it was concluded that the sex pheromone of N. himachala sangaica consists solely of E10,Z12-16:Ald, bombykal. The negative effect of E10,E12-16:Ald on attractiveness could promote the species-specificity of this single-component pheromone system.

Hybrid Sex Pheromones of the Hibiscus Flower-bud Borer, Rehimena surusalis.

The sex pheromone of the hibiscus flower borer Rehimena surusalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was analyzed by gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Three EAD-active components were found in crude pheromone gland extracts of calling females. GC/MS and GC analyses using synthetic chemicals and derivatization of the extracts identified three components as (10E,12Z)-hexadeca-10,12-dienal (E10,Z12-16:Ald,), (10E,12E)-hexadeca-10,12-dienyl acetate (E10,Z12-16:OAc), and (3Z,6Z,9Z)-tricosa-3,6,9-triene (Z3,Z6,Z9-23:HC). In field tests, male moths were strongly attracted to a ternary blend of E10,Z12-16:Ald, E10,Z12-16:OAc, and Z3,Z6,Z9-23:HC at a ratio of 1:5:14, but single and binary blends showed only weak or no attraction.

Insect water-specific aquaporins in developing ovarian follicles of the silk moth Bombyx mori: role in hydration during egg maturation.

Egg formation in terrestrial insects is an absorptive process, accommodated not only by packing proteins and lipids into yolk but also by filling chorions with water. An osmotic swelling of ovarian follicles takes place during oocyte maturation. This study investigated the role of the aquaporin (AQP) water channel in the osmotic uptake of water during oogenesis in the silk moth Bombyx mori Linnaeus, 1758. Using the antibodies that specifically recognize previously characterized AQPs, two water-specific subtypes-AQP-Bom1 and AQP-Bom3-belonging to the Drosophila integral protein (DRIP) and Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein (PRIP) subfamilies of the insect AQP clade, respectively, were identified in the developing ovaries of B. mori. During oocyte growth, Bombyx PRIP was distributed at the oocyte plasma membrane, where it likely plays a role in water uptake and oocyte swelling, and may be responsible for oocyte hydration during fluid absorption by ovarian follicles. During the transition from vitellogenesis to choriogenesis during oocyte maturation, Bombyx DRIP expression became abundant in peripheral yolk granules underlying the oocyte plasma membrane. The restricted DRIP localization was not observed in non-diapause-destined follicles, where DRIP was evenly distributed in medullary yolk granules. There was no difference in PRIP distribution between diapause- and non-diapause-destined follicles. The diapause-destined oocytes encase DRIP protein in the peripheral yolk granules, where DRIP might be inert. This would be reflected in the metabolic arrest associated with diapause after fertilization and egg oviposition.

(Z)-13-Hexadecenyl Acetate: a Novel Moth Sex Pheromone Component from Herpetogramma submarginale (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

The sex pheromone of Herpetogramma submarginale (Swinhoe) was studied by gas chromatography (GC) with electroantennographic detection and GC coupled with mass spectrometry. Two pheromone candidates detected in the gland extracts of females were identified as (Z)-13-hexadecenyl acetate (Z13-16:OAc) and (E)-13-hexadecenyl acetate (E13-16:OAc) in a ratio of 87:13 by mass spectral analysis of the natural pheromone components and their dimethyldisulfide adducts. In field tests, Z13-16:OAc alone attracted H. submarginale males and caught significantly more males than live virgin females. Addition of E13-16:OAc did not enhance the attractiveness of Z13-16:OAc. Derivatives of Z13-16:OAc also were tested as potential pheromone components. Addition of (Z)-13-hexadecen-1-ol significantly reduced the number of males captured, and (Z)-13-hexadecenal had no effect on the attractiveness of the lure. These results suggest that the female-produced sex pheromone of H. submarginale is Z13-16:OAc. This hexadecenyl acetate is a novel moth sex pheromone component.

Identification of the sex pheromone of the diurnal hawk moth, Hemaris affinis.

Sex pheromones of nocturnal hawk moths have been identified previously, but not those of diurnal hawk moths. Here, we report laboratory analyses and field testing of the sex pheromone of the diurnal hawk moth, Hemaris affinis (Bremer 1861) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Sex pheromone glands were removed and extracted in hexane during peak calling activity of virgin female moths. Analysis of gland extracts by gas chromatography (GC) with electroantennographic detection revealed three components that elicited responses from male moth antennae. These components were identified, based on their mass spectra and retention indices on two GC columns, as (Z)-11-hexadecenal and (10E, 12Z)- and (10E,12E)-10,12-hexadecadienals with a ratio of 45:20:35. In a field experiment, traps baited with the three-component synthetic blend, but none of the single- or two-component blends, caught male moths. All three pheromone components have been identified previously in pheromones of other Lepidoptera, including Sphingid moths, and thus the ternary blend is probably responsible for the species specificity of the pheromone of this moth.

Female sex pheromones of two Japanese saturniid species, Rhodinia fugax and Loepa sakaei: identification, synthesis, and field evaluation.

While 11 species in the family Saturniidae are found in Japan, no sex pheromones of the native species had been investigated previously. We collected larvae of Rhodinia fugax in Nagano and Tottori Prefecture, and of Loepa sakaei in Okinawa Prefecture, and extracted sex pheromones of these two species from virgin female moths. In gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) analyses, male antennae of each species responded to one component in the respective pheromone extracts of conspecific females. Chemical analyses of the extracts by GC/mass spectrometry revealed that the EAD-active compounds of R. fugax and L. sakaei were a hexadecadienal and a tetradecadienyl acetate, respectively. The two species belong to the subfamily Saturniinae, and the mass spectra of both were similar to that of the 6,11-hexadecadienyl acetate identified from Antheraea polyphemus, classified in the same subfamily, suggesting the same 6,11-dienyl structure for the C16 aldehyde and a 4,9-dienyl structure for the C14 acetate. Based on this assumption, four geometrical isomers of each dienyl compound were stereoselectively synthesized via acetylene intermediates, compared to the natural products, and tested in the field. Male catches confirmed the pheromone structures of the two Japanese saturniid species as (6E,11Z)-6,11-hexadecadienal for R. fugax and (4E,9Z)-4,9-tetradecadienyl acetate for L. sakaei. The compounds have a characteristic 1,6-dienyl motif common to the pheromones of Saturniinae species.

Reexamination of the female sex pheromone of the sweet potato vine borer moth: identification and field evaluation of a tricosatriene.

The sweet potato vine borer moth, Omphisa anastomosalis (Pyraloidea: Crambidae), is a serious pest in tropical and subtropical Asia-Pacific regions. In previous work using a population from Okinawa, Japan, (10E,14E)-10,14-hexadecadienal (E10,E14-16:Ald) was identified as the major pheromone component, with hexadecanal, (E)-10-hexadecenal, and (E)-14-hexadecenal as minor components. However, traps baited with the synthetic compounds were less effective at attracting males in the field than those baited with virgin females. While Pyraloidea females usually produce only Type I pheromone components (unsaturated fatty alcohols and their derivatives), the pheromones of some Pyraloidea species have been shown to involve a combination of both Type I and Type II components (unsaturated hydrocarbons and their epoxides). We examined an extract of the pheromone glands of female O. anastomosalis from Vietnam by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and detected (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-tricosatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H) in addition to the compounds identified previously. All four isomers of 10,14-16:Ald were synthesized. A mixture of synthetic E10,E14-16:Ald and Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H in a ratio of 1:0.2-1:2 was attractive to male moths in Vietnam, indicating the strong synergistic effect of the Type II compound. Addition of the other minor pheromone components to the binary blend did not increase the number of male moths captured. Combinations of Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H with the other three geometrical isomers of E10,E14-16:Ald attracted no males, further substantiating the 10E,14E configuration of the natural diene component. E10,E14-16:Ald mixed with other polyunsaturated hydrocarbons showed that mixtures that included a C21 triene, a C22 triene, or a C23 pentaene attracted as many males as did the mixture with Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H. The identification of a highly attractive sex pheromone will help in developing efficient strategies for monitoring and control of O. anastomosalis populations in sweet potato fields.

Identification of conjugated pentadecadienals as sex pheromone components of the sphingid moth, Dolbina tancrei.

Homologs of bombykal, (10E,12Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal, have been reported to be sex pheromones or sexual attractants of several species of sphingid moths. In this study, we identified novel bombykal analogs as sex pheromone components from a Japanese sphingid moth, Dolbina tancrei. Staudinger (Sphingidae: Lepidoptera). Sex pheromone gland extracts from calling female moths were subjected to gas chromatography/electroantennograhic detection (GC/EAD), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and gas chromatography (GC) analyses. GC/EAD analyses showed two active components in the crude pheromone extracts. GC/MS analysis determined these two components to be pentadecadienals. GC/MS of their MTAD derivatives showed conjugated double bonds at the 9- and 11-positions, indicating 9,11-pentadecadienals. The isomeric configurations of these candidates were determined by comparison of their Kováts retention indices with those of synthetic compounds. Field bioassays with the four isomers of 9,11-pentadecadienal and their mixtures confirmed that the two sex pheromone components of D. tancrei are (9E,11Z)-9,11-pentadecadienal and (9Z,11Z)-9,11-pentadecadienal, with the highest male catches observed for a 90:10 blend. This is the first report of 9,11-pentadecadienals as sex pheromone components in lepidopteran species.

Identification of the sex pheromone secreted by a nettle moth, Monema flavescens, using gas chromatography/fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The nettle moth Monema flavescens (Limacodidae) is a defoliator of fruit trees, such as Chinese plum and persimmon. The larvae of this species have spines containing a poison that causes serious irritation and inflammation in humans. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses of a crude pheromone extract, combined with derivatization, indicated that female moths produced 8-decen-1-ol and 7,9-decadien-1-ol at a ratio of approximately 9:1. The E configuration of the double bonds was assigned for both components from infrared spectra, recorded on a gas chromatograph/Fourier transform-infrared spectrophotometer equipped with a zinc selenide disk cooled to -30 °C. The monoenyl and dienyl alcohols had absorptions characteristic of E geometry at 966 and 951 cm(-1), respectively. A band chromatogram at 951 cm(-1) was useful for distinguishing geometric isomers, because terminal conjugated diene are difficult to resolve, even on high polarity columns. Furthermore, we identified the Z configuration of the same 7,9-dienyl alcohol secreted by another nettle moth, Parasa lepida lepida, through the absence of this absorption. In field trials, lures baited with a 9:1 mixture of (E)-8-decen-1-ol and (E)-7,9-decadien-1-ol attracted M. flavescens males. Furthermore, the field trials indicated that contamination with the (Z)-diene reduced catches to the pheromone mixture more than did contamination with the (Z)-monoene.

Female sex pheromone of Cystidia couaggaria couaggaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): identification and field attraction.

The plum cankerworm moth, Cystidia couaggaria couaggaria (Geometridae: Ennominae), is a defoliator of Chinese plum trees (Prunus mume). The pheromone components of the female were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with an electro-antennographic (EAG) detector and GC coupled with mass spectrometry. The crude pheromone extract included several EAG-active components, i.e., trienyl, dienyl, and saturated hydrocarbons, with a C21-C25 straight chain. The characteristic mass spectra indicated the unsaturated hydrocarbons to be (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-trienes and (6Z,9Z)-6,9-dienes. In the fields, mixtures of the synthetic C<21 and C<23 trienes in a ratio of 2:3 and 1:4 successfully attracted males of this diurnal species during daytime. While the male antennae responded to the C25 triene and saturated hydrocarbons, their synergistic effects were not observed on the male attraction in the fields. Addition of the C21 diene interestingly inhibited the activity of the triene mixture. Males of Cystidia truncangulata, a sympatric diurnal congener of C. c. couaggaria, showed similar EAG responses to the unsaturated hydrocarbons, but no C. truncangulata males were attracted by the lures tested for C. c. couaggaria males, indicating that the identified hydrocarbons comprised the species-specific pheromone of C. c. couaggaria females.

Identification and field evaluation of sex pheromone components of the pear barkminer moth, Spulerina astaurota.

The pear barkminer moth, Spulerina astaurota Meyrick (Gracillariidae: Gracillariinae), is a harmful pest of the Asian-pear tree. Pheromone components of the female were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with an electroantennographic (EAG) detector and GC coupled with mass spectrometry. The analyses of a crude pheromone extract and those of a fractionated extract on a Florisil column indicated three EAG-active components, tetradecadien-1-ol, its acetate, and an aldehyde derivative. Characteristic fragment ions in the mass spectra of the dienyl compounds and derivatives with 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione revealed double bonds at the 9- and 11-positions. By comparing the chromatographic behaviors to those of four authentic geometrical isomers, which were synthesized by three different routes starting from 1,8-octanediol or 1,9-nonanediol, the configuration of each natural component was assigned to be 9Z,11Z; i.e., it was concluded that the S. astaurota females secreted (9Z,11Z)-9,11-tetradecadien-1-ol (Z9,Z11-14:OH) as a main pheromone component, and the acetate and aldehyde derivatives (Z9,Z11-14:OAc and Z9,Z11-14:Ald) as minor components. This identification was confirmed by a field evaluation of the synthetic pheromone. While the male moths could be attracted to a lure baited with Z9,Z11-14:OH alone, Z9,Z11-14:OAc showed a strong synergistic effect on the attraction. Among the lures tested, the mixture of alcohol and acetate in a ratio of 7:3 exhibited the strongest attraction. Addition of Z9,Z11-14:Ald in the mixture did not significantly increase the number of males attracted. Furthermore, the field test indicated that some contamination of a geometrical isomer of the alcohol did not impair the activity of the binary mixture with the 9Z,11Z configuration.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of two green lacewings, Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto, 1914) and Apochrysa matsumurae Okamoto, 1912 (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

We describe the complete mitochondrial genomes of the green lacewing species Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto, 1914) and Apochrysa matsumurae Okamoto 1912 (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). The genomes were 16,057 and 16,214 bp in size, respectively, and comprised 37 genes (13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes and two rRNA genes). A major noncoding (control) region was 1,244 bp in C. nipponensis and 1,407 in A. matsumurae, and the structure was simpler than that reported in other Neuroptera, lacking conserved blocks or long tandem repeats. The overall arrangement of genes was almost the same as that found in most arthropod mitochondrial genomes, with the one exception of a tRNA rearrangement to tRNA-Cys-tRNA-Trp-tRNA-Tyr, rather than the plesiomorphic tRNA-Trp-tRNA-Cys-tRNA-Tyr. A high A + T content (78.89 and 79.02%, respectively), A + T-rich codon bias, and a mismatch between the most-used codon and its corresponding tRNA anticodon were observed as a typical feature of the insect mitochondrial genome.