Plant Protect. Sci., 2018, 54(4):265-271 | DOI: 10.17221/143/2017-PPS

Repellent activity of plants from the genus Chenopodium to Ostrinia nubilalis larvaeOriginal Paper

Dariusz Piesik^1*, Didier Rochat², Jan Bocianowski³, Frédéric Marion-Poll^{2, 4}

¹ Department of Entomology and Molecular Phytopathology, UTP University of Science and Technology, Bydgoszcz, Poland

² UMR N°1272 INRA/Université Paris 6/AgroParisTech, Physiologie de l'Insecte: Signalisation et Communication, INRA Centre de Versailles-Grignon, Versailles Cedex, France

³ Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland

⁴ AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France

The olfactory choices expressed by naïve neonate European corn borer (ECB) larvae were tested by recording their locomotor activities in response to odours coming from plants of the genus Chenopodium (producing phytoecdysteroids or not). ECB larvae were found to be repelled from phytoecdysteroid-positive species, except C. album and C. polyspermum. On the contrary, they were mildly attracted or mildly repelled by phytoecdysteroid-negative species, except C. botrys (which emits a rancid odour). These observations indicate that neonate ECB larvae clearly differentiate plant odours and suggest that well-defended plants may emit repellent odours.

Keywords: European corn borer; odours; larvae; orientation; behaviour

Published: December 31, 2018  Show citation