SYNERGISM OF AN INSECT SEX-PHEROMONE SPECIALIST NEURON - IMPLICATIONSFOR COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION AND RECEPTOR INTERACTIONS

Extracellular recordings show that the response to the sex pheromone c omponent, (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (27-12:Ac) by the HS(a) antennal olf actory specialist neuron of the cabbage looper. Trichoplusia ni (Hubne r), is synergized by two synthetic sex pheromone analogs and two compo nents of the female sex pheromone. Complementary behavioral measures o f upwind Right and copulatory responses to mixtures of Z7-12:Ac with t he analogs and sex pheromone components in a wind tunnel produced beha vioral evidence consistent with the neuron's electrophysiological resp onses. The phenomenon of receptor neuron synergism impacts several are as and provides a note of caution for common practices of identifying secondary sex pheromone components only from field traps and/or wind t unnel tests.