Diet Acts on Detection of Female Sex Pheromones in a Male Moth

Abstract

International audienceIn most insects, sex-partner meeting relies on males’ attraction by a mixture of species-specific odorants emitted by females: sex pheromones. The pheromonal compounds are recognized by specific olfactory receptors (ORs) located in the membrane of dedicated olfactory receptor neurons (Phe-ORNs) inside antennal sensilla. The pheromonal signal is then integrated into olfactory centers, ultimately leading to sexual behavior. In the male moth Agrotis ipsilon, sex pheromones detection elicits to oriented flight towards the female. As diet impacts the male’s sexual behavior in this species, we suggested that diet might also affect sex pheromones detection. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of different diets on both antennal response by electroantennography (EAG) and Phe-ORN activity by single sensillum recordings (SSR)