Effects Of Plant Volatiles And Sex Gland Extracts Of Female Moths On Behavior Of The Black-back Prominent Moth Adults, Clostera Anastomosis (L.)

Black-back prominent moth, Clostera anastomosis (L.)(Lepidoptera, Notodontidae)is one of serious defoliators of Salicaceae spp.. This moth has a wider distribution area inChina, and with the continuous expansion of poplar cultivation area, the harm situation isbecoming increasingly serious. On the one hand, this paper studies the behavior rhythms ofC. anastomosis adults, in order to deeper understand the active phase. On the other hand, inorder to understand the host selection mechanism of C. anastomosis and lay the foundationfor the choice of plant origin attractants to C. anastomosis, we focus on the studies of theeffects of different plant volatiles and female sex pheromone on adultolfactory and oviposition behavior of C. anastomosis.The results of behavioral rhythms of emergence and reproductive of C. anastomosisshowed that the adults of C. anastomosis emerged either at the photophase or at thescotophase. The peak emergence period of the male adults appeared at14hours afterinitiation of the photophase, and the female peak emergence period occurred1hourposterior to the male’s. However, the female peak emergence date arose at6days afterpupation, one day earlier than the male’s in which emergence percentage reached by72.48%. The1-day-old virgin females had the highest calling percengtage which reachedby97.78%and decreased gradually with female ages, but the average time for the callingonset had been moved up gradually with female ages. The female’s calling behavior startedat the6th hour of the scotophase, reached the peak from the10th hour of the scotophase tothe first hour of the photophase, and ended at9th hour of the photophase. Similar to thecalling behavior, the peak mating percentage reached by75.56%was observed at half hourafter the onset of the photophase from the moths at the age of1day following emergence,and no more mating was observed from4-day-old adults. The mating behavior of themoths took only place from the7thhour of the scotophase to the1st hour of the photophase,and approximate60%individuals began at0-0.5hours after initiation of the photophasewhile81.2%individuals terminated at0.5hours after onset of the scotophase. Theoviposition rate of the females at one day after mating end rose to49.8%at its peak. All theeggs from the females oviposited with3days after mating end accounted for76.3%of thetotal fecundity in their whole life.The results of EAG and olfactory behavior experiment showed that among the allvolatiles,0.001mol/l isovaleric acid vinyl ester had the strongest stimulatory effect onvirgin male, and virgin and mated female were stimulated strongest by0.1mol/l eugenol,while virgin female’s EAG response values were higher than mated female’s.Overall, EAG response values of virgin female were higher than vigin male’stoo. Female was more sensitive than male to plant volatiles. Among the four plants extracts, papermulberry extract had the strongest stimulatory to virgin male, andpoplar extract had the srongest stimulatory to virgin female. These results were basicagreement with olfactory experiments’. Among the4kinds of poplar volatiles (0.1mol/ltrans-2-hexen-1-ol, salicylaldehyde, benzyl alcohol and1,2-cyclohexanedione), the lurerate of benzyl alcohol to mated female was the largest, and the four volatiles’ lure rate tomated female were significant difference. The attractive effect of1,2-cyclohexanedione tovirgin female was strongest. But the response rates of virgin male to four volatiles were allhigh. They were no significant difference.By the results of oviposition choices, we knew that the mated female was prefer tolaying eggs on the branches of host plants poplar and willow. But the ovipositon choicesbetween4kinds of plants’extracts was no significant difference, even though the fecundityon the two filter papers dropped poplar’s and willow’s extracts respectively was larger thanthe other. Trans-2-hexen-1-ol, salicylaldehyde, benzyl alcohol and1,2-Cyclohexanedioneare four kinds of poplar volatiles, which can attract female to lay eggs. But they were nosignificant difference. Among the four volatiles papers, female laied more eggs on the filterpapers dropped trans-2-hexen-1-ol and benzyl alcohol. These results were basic agreementwith previous experimental results of EAG and olfactory behavior.