Use of volatile info-chemicals by food-searching parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24780049
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied entomology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
• Principal Investigator: KUGIMIYA Soichi 国立研究開発法人 農業環境技術研究所, 生物多様性研究領域, 主任研究員 (10455264)
• Research Collaborator: SHIMODA Takeshi 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 中央農業総合研究センター・病害虫研究領域, 主任研究員 (20370512) ; ABE Hiroshi 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, バイオリソースセンター・実験植物開発室, 専任研究員 (90360479)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: コナガサムライコマユバチ / アブラナ科植物 / 花香 / テルペン / 芳香族化合物 / 揮発性成分 / 情報化学物質 / 植物－昆虫間相互作用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The parasitic wasp, Cotesia vestalis, oviposits on larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, a pest of Brassicaceae plants. It has been known that the female parasitoids search for host larvae through volatile compounds released from host-infested plants. In this research, aromatic and terpenoid compounds from flowers were newly elucidated as cues for the parasitoids to search for floral food. And, it was demonstrated that the females can use different cues to search for food and hosts depending on their dietary status. These results has provided us new information on ecological role of flowers in biological interactions, and such information would be helpful in designing effective pest management systems using natural enemy wasps.

Free Research Field

化学生態学