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ViewAttendees 5

Member Symposium

New Advances in Insect Chemoreception

The sex attractant pheromone of the unlighted firefly Photinus corruscus

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
9:05 AM – 9:23 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Camellia 1
In-Person
Fireflies are renowned for their visual flash signals that are used in mate recognition and choice. However, some firefly species have lost the ability to produce light as adults. These “unlighted” species generally lack developed adult light organs, are day-active, and are believed to use volatile pheromones to locate mates, though no volatile pheromone has ever been identified. In this study, using coupled gas chromatography - electroantennographic detection, we detected a single female-emitted compound that elicited antennal responses from wild-caught male winter fireflies, Photinus corruscus. The compound was identified as (1S)-exo-3-hydroxycamphor (hydroxycamphor). In field trials, large numbers of male P. corruscus were attracted to synthesized hydroxycamphor, verifying its function as a volatile sex attractant pheromone. Two-choice laboratory assays demonstrated attraction - males spent more time in contact with lures treated with synthesized hydroxycamphor than those treated with solvent only. Lastly, using single sensillum recordings, we characterized a pheromone-sensitive odorant receptor neuron in a specific olfactory sensillum on male P. corruscus antennae, and demonstrated its sensitivity to hydroxycamphor. This study is the first identification of a volatile pheromone and its corresponding sensory neuron for any firefly species. It provides a tool for monitoring P. corruscus populations for conservation and for leading further inquiry into the chemical and cellular bases for sexual communication among fireflies.