Conscientia Beam || conscientiabeam.com

Export to

Contact Us

For Marketing, Sales and Subscriptions Inquiries

2637 E Atlantic Blvd #43110
Pompano Beach, FL 33062

USA

Conference List

International Research Journal of Insect Sciences

March 2014, Volume 1, 1, pp 12-19

Olfactory Response of an Assassin Bug, Rhynocoris Longifrons (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae) To the Hexane Extracts of Different Agricultural Insect Pests

A. Ganesh Kumar

Dunston P. Ambrose

A. Ganesh Kumar¹ Dunston P. Ambrose¹

Entomology Research Unit, St. Xavierâ€™s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, India ¹

on Google Scholar

on PubMed

Pages: 12-19

View Citation

1575Views

Create Citation Alert

Abstract:

The predator-prey interaction of five prey species with the assassin bug, Rhynocoris longifrons (Stål) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) was assessed in a Y-shaped olfactometer and the prey preference was assessed in six-arm olfactometer provided with the bodyextracts in hexane. Although R. longifrons responded to all the hexane extracts of testedinsect pests, R. longifrons showed maximum response to the lepidopterans Spodoptera litura (F.) (6.67±1.18 min), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (5.17±0.89 min) and Achaea janata (L.) (4.42±1.04 min) followed by the coleopteran Mylabris indica (Thunberg) (3.00±0.82 min) and the least response to the hemipteran Dysdercus cingulatus (F.) (2.42±0.76 min).Thus, the present study clearly reveals the order of the host preference of R. longifrons to the tested hexane extracts of the taxonomically diverse insect pests.

Contribution/ Originality
This paper contributes the first hand information on the allelochemical interaction of Rhynocoris longifrons with its prey species Spodoptera litura, Helicoverpa armigera, Achea janata, Dysdercus cingulatus and Mylabris indica and reveals its prey preference. It also enables one to employ R. longifrons as a biocontrol agent against these insect pests.

Keywords:

Assassin bug, Rhynocoris longifrons, Kairomonal ecology, Olfactometer, Spodoptera litura, Helicoverpa armigera, Achaea janata, Mylabris indica, Dysdercus cingulatus.

Reference:

D. Ambrose, "Biocontrol potential of assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)," Ind J Exp Zool., vol. 6, pp. 1-44, 2003.
S. Kumar, A. Kumar, and D. Ambrose, "Impact of intraspecific competition in the predation of rhynocoris longifrons (Stål) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) on camponotine ant camponotus compressus fabricius," Hexapoda, vol. 16, pp. 1-4, 2009.
J. Schmidt, "The role of physical factors in tritrophic interactions," Redia, vol. 74, pp. 43-93, 1991.
L. Vet, W. Lewis, and R. Carde, Parasitoid foraging and learning, in chemical ecology of insects 2. New York: Chapman & Hall, 1995.
S. Vinson, "The general host selection behavior of parasitoid hymenoptera and a comparison of initial strategies utilized by larvaphagous and oophagous species," Biol Cont., vol. 11, pp. 79-96, 1998.
W. J. Brown, T. Eisner, and R. Whittaker, "Allomones and kairomones: Transpecific chemical messengers," Bio Science, vol. 20, pp. 2-22, 1970.
R. Whittaker and P. Fenny, "Allelochemics: Chemical interactions between species," Science, vol. 171, pp. 757-770, 1971.
W. Lewis, R. Jones, D. Nordlund, and A. Sparks, "Kairomones and their use for management of entomophagous insects I. Evaluation for increasing rates of parasitization by trichogramma spp. In the field," J Chem Ecol., vol. 1, pp. 343-347, 1975.
W. Lewis and W. J. Martin, "Semiochemicals for use with parsitoids: Status and future," J. Chem Ecol., vol. 16, pp. 3067-3089, 1990.
L. Vet and M. Dicke, "Ecology of infochemical use by natural enemies in a tritrophic context," Ann Rev Entomol., vol. 37, pp. 141-172, 1992.
D. Nordlund, Semiopchemicals: A review of the terminology in Semiochemicals, their role in pest control. New York, USA: Wiley, 1981.
K. Hagen, Nutritional ecology of terrestrial insect predators, in nutritional ecology of insects, mites, spiders and related invertebrates. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1987.
D. Ambrose and T. Mayamuthu, "Impact of sex, starvation, antennectomy, eye blinding and tibial comb coating on the predatory behaviour of rhynocoris fuscipes (Fabricius) (Insecta: Heteroptera: Reduviidae)," J Adv Zool., vol. 16, pp. 79-85, 1994.
D. Ambrose, M. Samuel, and K. Sahayaraj, "Impact of antennectomy, eye blinding and fossula spongiosa coating on the predatory behaviour of acanthaspis siva distant (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Acanthaspidinae)," J Adv Zool., vol. 12, pp. 37-44, 1991.
D. Ambrose, "Kulandaisamy AMJ & Sahayaraj K, impact of starvation, eye blinding and antennectomy on the predatory behaviour and efficiency of euagoras plagiatus burmeister (Insecta: Heteroptera: Reduviidae)," Bull Entomol, vol. 35, pp. 90-100, 1994.
T. Yasuda, "Chemical cues from spodoptera litura larvae elicit prey-locating behaviour by the predatory stink bug, eocanthecona furcellata," Entomol. Exp Appl., vol. 43, pp. 585-589, 1997.
A. Cohen, How carnivorous bugs feed, In: Heteroptera of economic importance. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2000.
M. Sakuma and H. Fukami, "The linear track olfactometers – An assay device for taxes of the German cockroach blatella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blatellidae) towards their aggregation pheromone," App Entomol Zool., vol. 20, pp. 387-402, 1985.
R. Ramachandran and D. Norris, "Volatiles mediating plant-herbivore-natural enemy interaction. Electroantennograms responses of soybean looper, spedoplusia includens and a parasitoid microplitis demoliter to green leaf volatiles," J Chem Ecol., vol. 17, pp. 1665-1690, 1991.
P. Rani, Sensillar diversity and insect biocommunication, in biocommunication in insects. New Delhi, India: Oxford and IBH Pub., Co. Pvt. Ltd, 1998.
D. Ambrose, Assassin bugs. New Delhi, India: Oxford & IBH Publishing Company Private Limited, 1999.
R. Jones, W. Lewis, M. Beroza, B. Bierl, and A. Sparks, "Host seeking stimulants (Kairomones) for the egg parasite, trichogramma evanescens," Environ Entomol., vol. 2, pp. 593-596, 1973.
Madhu S, Paul AVN, and Singh DB, Kairomonal effect of saturated hydrocarbons on trichogramma brasiliensis (Ashmead) and I. Japonicum Ashmead. Shashpa, vol. 4, pp. 131-135, 1997.
J. Ruther, T. Meiners, and J. Steidle, "Rich phenomina lacking in terms – A classification in kairomones," Chemoecology, vol. 12, pp. 161-167, 2002.
K. Boo and J. Yang, "Kairomones used by trichogramma chilonis to find helicoverpa assulta eggs," J Chem Ecol., vol. 26, pp. 359-375, 2000.
E. McMahan, "Adaptation, feeding preference and biometrics of a termite baiting assassin bug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)," Ann Entomol Soc Am., vol. 76, pp. 483-486, 1983.
E. F. Knipling, "Role of pheromones and kairomones for insect suppression systems and their possible health and environmental impacts," Environ Hea Pers, vol. 14, pp. 145-152, 1976.