Pg. Valeur et al., Relationship between sex pheromone elicited behaviour and response of single olfactory receptor neurones in a wind tunnel, PHYSL ENTOM, 25(3), 2000, pp. 223-232
Responses from pheromone-specific receptor neurones in male Agrotis segetum
(Denis & Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were recorded in a labor
atory wind tunnel. Stimuli were: (1) rubber septum dispensers loaded with s
ingle components or a four-component pheromone blend, (2) excised glands fr
om female A. segetum, (3) constrained A. segetum females with extruded glan
ds. Dose-response curves for three neurone-types with different specificity
were established. The neurones were specifically tuned to respond to eithe
r one of the two pheromone components (Z)-5-decenyl acetate and (Z)-7-dodec
enyl acetate, or to the behavioural antagonist (Z)-5-decenol. In parallel,
a behavioural dose-response curve with males flying upwind to a four-compon
ent pheromone blend was established. There was a clear correlation between
behavioural arrestment of upwind flight and maximum spiking activity in ZS-
10:OAc-specific neurones.
The pheromone release rates of individual females and synthetic dispensers
were compared. A load of 50-200 ng of ZS-10:OAc on a rubber septum elicited
approximately the same neural response as one female gland.