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Member Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Meeting the Grand Challenge of Stored Food Security and Sustainability in a Warming World

Indianmeal moth courtship: A pattern of perception

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Chesapeake G-H
In-Person
Indianmeal moth or Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a cosmopolitan pantry pest that can infest a diverse range of over 100 stored food products including grains, dried fruits, nuts, and flours. The major component of the female sex pheromone component, (Z, E)-9, 12-tetradecadien-l-yl-acetate (ZETA), and it is broadly utilized in integrated pest management programs in flight traps for population monitoring and for mating disruption. Although males are attracted to ZETA and their antennae elicit electrophysiological responses to this compound, it is unknown whether female antenna perceive their own pheromone or whether age and mating status influence antennal and behavioral responses. Thus, the purpose of this study was to measure the antennal perception of ZETA during a five-day time course following eclosion for unmated males and females using an electroantennogram (EAG). Furthermore, flight activity was also recorded for unmated males and females in the presence or absence of ZETA with a flight mill. We found that age had a substantial impact on antennal perception patterns and flight activity in the presence of ZETA regardless of sex.