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  • Publication
    AccĆØs libre
    Aspects of the sensory physiology of the pollination of "Petunia axillaris" and mating in moth pests
    Les composĆ©s produits par les plantes ont un impact important dans plusieurs aspects de la biologie de nombreux insectes et les plantes sont une source de nourriture particuliĆØrement importante. A lā€™Ć©tat adulte, les insectes utilisent ces messages chimiques pour identifier et localiser une source de nourriture qui leur convient. La spĆ©cificitĆ© de la plante est aussi cruciale pour le bon dĆ©veloppement des larves peu mobiles. Le choix du lieu de ponte est donc important pour la survie de la progĆ©niture et est Ć©galement grandement dĆ©terminĆ© par lā€™odeur spĆ©cifique des plantes hĆ“tes. Il a aussi Ć©tĆ© prouvĆ© que le comportement sexuel des insectes est influencĆ© par les odeurs de plante hĆ“te en augmentant la sensibilitĆ© des mĆ¢les aux phĆ©romones sexuelles.
    Petunia est un genre de plante particuliĆØrement intĆ©ressant pour Ć©tudier le rĆ“le des caractĆØres floraux dans la spĆ©ciation, car toutes les espĆØces connues sont capables de se croiser artificiellement. Toutefois, lā€™hybridation sur le terrain reste rare. Lā€™isolation reproductive est alors assurĆ©e par lā€™attraction sĆ©lective des pollinisateurs. Il existe chez Petunia trois syndromes de pollinisation distincts correspondant Ć  autant de guildes de pollinisateurs : abeilles, sphingidĆ©s ou colibris. P. axillaris attire Manduca sexta, un sphingidĆ©, en produisant une puissante odeur. En revanche, P. exserta qui est pollinisĆ© par des colibris ne relĆ¢che aucune odeur. Le croisement de ces deux espĆØces permet dā€™Ć©tudier la base gĆ©nĆ©tique de lā€™Ć©volution du parfum chez Petunia et son importance dans la prĆ©fĆ©rence de butinage de M. sexta. Nous avons caractĆ©risĆ© le parfum de P. axillaris et confirmĆ© que P. exserta ne produisait pas dā€™odeur. Nous avons montrĆ© que M. sexta est trĆØs sensible Ć  ces composĆ©s, particuliĆØrement au methyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol et mĆ©thyl salicylate de P. axillaris. Finalement, nous avons observĆ© par le comportement en chambre de vol que les plantes produisant des odeurs Ć©taient toujours prĆ©fĆ©rĆ©es, quel que soit la couleur de la fleur. Nous en avons dĆ©duit que la production de parfum et un trait floral dĆ©terminant dans la relation plante-insecte et que ce trait peut Ć  lui seul changer la prĆ©fĆ©rence de butinage de M. sexta. Les consĆ©quences de ces rĆ©sultats sur la spĆ©ciation chez Petunia sont discutĆ©es.
    Chez les insectes lā€™attraction spĆ©cifique par certaines odeurs est en grande partie modulĆ©e par la prĆ©sence de nourriture. Nous nous sommes intĆ©ressĆ©s Ć  la perception de M. sexta aux diffĆ©rents nutriments Ć©nergĆ©tiques essentiels que sont les sucres. AprĆØs avoir caractĆ©risĆ© les sensilles gustatives de son proboscis, nous avons mesurĆ© la rĆ©ponse neuronale des sensilles styloconiques et basiconiques au glucose, fructose et sucrose. Pour les deux types sensillaires, la rĆ©ponse au fructose est lĆ©gĆØrement plus intense quā€™au sucrose alors que celle au glucose est imperceptible Ć  la dose testĆ©e. ParallĆØlement, la prĆ©fĆ©rence de nourrissage du papillon a Ć©tĆ© Ć©valuĆ©e en choix binaires. Il en dĆ©coule que les papillons prĆ©fĆØrent se nourrir de sucrose ou de fructose par rapport au glucose. De plus il parvient Ć  dĆ©tecter de faible concentration de sucrose et prĆ©fĆØre se nourrir sur les solutions les plus concentrĆ©es. Finalement, il semble que le volume de solution de sucrose soit dĆ©terminĆ© par sa concentration. La prĆ©fĆ©rence comportementale pour ces sucres est bien corrĆ©lĆ©e avec leur perception neuronale.
    Le ver de la grappe, Lobesia botrana, et le ver de la pomme, Cydia pomonella, sont tous deux de trĆØs importants insectes ravageurs des cultures Ć  lā€™Ć©chelle de la planĆØte. Sans mesures de contrĆ“le adĆ©quates, les pertes financiĆØres sur les cultures peuvent ĆŖtre considĆ©rables. La confusion sexuelle est une mĆ©thode spĆ©cifique de lutte utilisant la phĆ©romone sexuelle pour attirer les mĆ¢les vers des leurres et ainsi diminuer les probabilitĆ©s dā€™accouplement. Utiliser des produits de plantes hĆ“tes pour amĆ©liorer lā€™attraction des mĆ¢les par les phĆ©romones sexuelles prĆ©sente une possibilitĆ© intĆ©ressante. Nous avons mesurĆ© lā€™attraction des mĆ¢les de L. botrana Ć  diffĆ©rent doses dā€™heptane ou dā€™octane en combinaison avec une concentration sous-dosĆ©e de phĆ©romone. Alors que lā€™attractivitĆ© du mĆ©lange augmente avec la dose pour les deux produits, nous obtenons une proportion maximale de papillons arrivant Ć  la source avec 10 ng/min dā€™alcane relĆ¢chĆ© avec la phĆ©romone, un niveau dā€™attraction comparable avec celui obtenu avec des phĆ©romones directement relĆ¢chĆ© avec des femelles. Alors que ces alcanes sont inactifs seuls, la phĆ©romone directement diluĆ© dans lā€™heptane induit non seulement autant de contact avec la source quā€™avec un solvant classique, mais recrute plus de papillons dans les premiĆØres phases dā€™attraction. Un autre composĆ© de plante, le 2-phĆ©nylethanol augmente Ć©galement lā€™attraction de la phĆ©romone lorsquā€™il est relĆ¢chĆ© Ć  100 pg/min. De plus, lorsque lā€™un de ces composĆ©s de plante est ajoutĆ© Ć  la phĆ©romone, le temps que met le papillon pour atteindre la source est rĆ©duit de moitiĆ©. Tous ces rĆ©sultats sont confirmĆ©s Ć©galement chez C. pomonella. Le large spectre de concentrations oĆ¹ ces alcanes sont actifs chez ces deux espĆØces offre un outil prometteur pour amĆ©liorer le contrĆ“le des populations sur le terrain en utilisant la confusion sexuelle.
    Au travers de cette thĆØse, nous avons Ć©tudiĆ© les interactions plantes-insectes sous plusieurs facettes. Nous avons montrĆ© comment une plante arrive Ć  manipuler un pollinisateur pour parvenir Ć  se reproduire, ou comment un papillon utilise les stimuli chimiques dā€™une plante pour se nourrir. Nous avons Ć©galement dĆ©montrĆ© que certaines odeurs de plantes amĆ©lioraient les chances des papillons mĆ¢les Ć  trouver une femelle., Compounds produced by plants have an important impact on many aspects of the biology of insects from whom plants are a particularly important source of food. As an adult, insects use chemical messages to identify and locate a suitable food source. The specificity of the host plant relationship is also crucial for healthy development of larvae. The choice of oviposition site is determinant for the survival of offsprings and is largely selected by the specific array of host plants stimuli. It has also been shown that the sexual behaviour of insects is influenced by host plant odours by increasing the sensitivity of males to sex pheromones of females.
    The genus Petunia is particularly interesting to study the role of floral traits in speciation because all the known species are artificially crossable. However, hybridization in the field is rare as the reproductive isolation is provided by the selective attraction of pollinators. Three distinct pollination syndromes have emerged in Petunia, corresponding to as many guilds of pollinators: bees, hummingbirds or hawkmoths. P. axillaris attracts hawkmoths such as Manduca sexta, a Sphingidae, by releasing a strong sweet odour. In contrast, P. exserta which is pollinated by hummingbirds is devoid of scent. Crossings between these two species were exploited here to study the genetic basis of the evolution of fragrance in Petunia and its importance in foraging preferences of M. sexta. We characterized the scent of P. axillaris and confirmed that P. exserta produces no odour. We show that the antennal olfactory receptor cells of M. sexta is very sensitive to the compounds released by P. axillaris, especially methyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol and methyl salicylate. Finally, we observed through choice tests in a wind tunnel that plants producing odours were always preferred, regardless of the colour of the flower. We conclude that the production of fragrance is an important floral trait in this plant-insect relationship and that this feature alone can modify the foraging preference of M. sexta. The implications of these findings on speciation processes in Petunia are discussed.
    In insects specific attraction by odours is largely modulated by the presence of food. We were interested in the perception of different essential energy nutrients including nectar sugars by M. sexta. We have characterized the taste sensilla on the proboscis and measured the neural response of the gustatory receptor cells of styloconic and basiconic sensilla to glucose, fructose and sucrose. For both sensillar types, the response to fructose is slightly stronger than to sucrose while glucose was not detected at the dose tested. Meanwhile, the feeding preference of the moth was assessed through binary choices experiments. It turns out that the M. sexta prefers to feed on sucrose or fructose compared to glucose. In addition, it can detect low concentrations of sucrose and prefers to feed on the most concentrated solutions. Finally, it seems that the volume of sucrose solution imbibed is determined by its concentration. Behavioural preferences by M. sexta for these sugars correlate well with their mouthpart sensory cell responses.
    The European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana, and the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, are both very important worldwide insect pests. Without adequate control, fruit damage can be important and the arising financial losses substantial. Mating disruption is a specific control method using the female sex pheromone to attract males to lures and thus reduce their chances of mating. The use of host plant volatiles to improve the attractiveness of males to sex pheromones presents an interesting possibility to improve the mating disruption control method. We measured the attraction of male L. botrana to different doses of heptane and octane in combination with the underdosed sex pheromone. While the attractiveness of the mixture increases with dose for both products, a maximum number of males arrive at the source with a release rate of 10 ng/min of the alkanes released with the pheromone. This level of attraction is comparable with that obtained with the sex pheromones released directly from calling females. While the alkanes are inactive on their own, the pheromone diluted directly in heptane induces not only contact to the source no different to the control, but recruits more moths in the early stages of flight. Another plant compound, 2-phenylethanol also increases the attraction of the underdosed L. botrana sex pheromone to males when released at 100 pg/min. In addition, when one of these plant compounds is added to the pheromone, the time needed to reach the source is halved in L. botrana. The findings with these plant compounds were confirmed in C. pomonella. The wide range of concentrations over which these alkanes are active in both species provides a promising mean to improve control of field populations using mating disruption.
    Throughout this thesis we studied plant-insect interactions from different angles. We have shown how a plant can manipulate a pollinator to achieve pollination, alternatively, how a moth selects plant stimuli to cover its energy needs. We have also shown that hitherto unstudied plant volatiles improved the chances of male moths to encounter females.
  • Publication
    MƩtadonnƩes seulement
    Three-dimensional flight tracking shows how a visual target alters tsetse fly responses to human breath in a wind tunnel
    (2012)
    Gurba, A.
    ;
    Harraca, V.
    ;
    Perret, J. L.
    ;
    Casera, S.
    ;
    Donnet, S.
    ;
    Tsetse flies Glossina spp. (Diptera; Glossinidae) are blood-feeding vectors of disease that are attracted to vertebrate hosts by odours and visual cues. Studies on how tsetse flies approach visual devices are of fundamental interest because they can help in the development of more efficient control tools. The responses of a forest tsetse fly species Glossina brevipalpis (Newstead) to human breath are tested in a wind tunnel in the presence or absence of a blue sphere as a visual target. The flight responses are video recorded with two motion-sensitive cameras and characterized in three dimensions. Although flies make meandering upwind flights predominantly in the horizontal plane in the plume of breath alone, upwind flights are highly directed at the visual target presented in the plume of breath. Flies responding to the visual target fly from take-off within stricter flight limits at lower ground speeds and with a significantly lower variance in flight trajectories in the horizontal plane. Once at the target, flies fly in loops principally in the horizontal plane within 40 cm of the blue sphere before descending in spirals beneath it. Successful field traps designed for G. brevipalpis take into account the strong horizontal component in local search behaviour by this species at objects. The results suggest that trapping devices should also take into account the propensity of G. brevipalpis to descend to the lower parts of visual targets.
  • Publication
    MƩtadonnƩes seulement
    Oriented responses of grapevine moth larvae Lobesia botrana to volatiles from host plants and an artificial diet on a locomotion compensator
    (2009)
    Becher, P. G.
    ;
    Larvae of the grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) are a major pest of vine, Vitis vinifera. As larvae have limited energy reserves and are in danger of desiccation and predation an efficient response to plant volatiles that would guide them to food and shelter could be expected. The responses of starved 2nd or 3rd instar larvae to volatile emissions from their artificial diet and to single host plant volatiles were recorded on a locomotion compensator. Test products were added to an air stream passing over the 30 cm diameter servosphere. The larvae showed non-directed walks of low rectitude in the air stream alone but changed to goal-oriented upwind displacement characterised by relatively straight tracks when the odour of the artificial diet and vapours of methyl salicylate, 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, terpinen-4-ol, 1-octen-3-ol, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate were added to the air stream. This chemoanemotactic targeted displacement illustrates appetence for certain volatile cues from food by starved Lobesia larvae. Analysis of the larval behaviour indicates dose dependent responses to some of the host plant volatiles tested with a response to methyl salicylate already visible at 1 ng, the lowest source dose tested. These behavioural responses show that Lobesia larvae can efficiently locate mixtures of volatile products released by food sources as well as single volatile constituents of their host plants. Such goal-oriented responses with shorter travel time and reduced energy loss are probably of importance for larval survival as it decreases the time they are exposed to biotic and abiotic hazards. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    AccĆØs libre
    Sensory and behavioural responses of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans to rumen volatiles
    Analysis of volatiles from rumen digesta by gas chromatography linked antennogram recordings from Stomoxys calcitrans (L) (Diptera: Muscidae) antennal receptor cells revealed about 30 electrophysiologically active constituents, the most important of which is dimethyl trisulphide with a sensory threshold in the femtogram range. The behavioural responses of S. calcitrans to five chemostimulants (dimethyl trisulphide, butanoic acid, p-cresol, oct-1-en-3-ol and skatole) were tested in a wind tunnel where activation and attraction of hungry flies to rumen volatiles were recorded. Dimethyl trisulphide, butanoic acid and p-cresol were found to attract S. calcitrans. This sensitivity to rumen volatile constituents, that also occur in animal wastes used for oviposition by Stomoxys spp., as well as in flowers used by stable flies as sources of nectar is discussed in the context of the behavioural ecology of these flies.
  • Publication
    AccĆØs libre
    Chemostimuli implicated in selection of oviposition substrates by the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans
    Horse and cow dung were tested as substrates for oviposition by the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (L) (Diptera: Muscidae) in laboratory cages. Odour alone from either horse or cow dung was sufficient to attract flies for oviposition. This was confirmed in wind tunnel experiments, where both horse and cow dung were shown to attract gravid stable flies. However, when S. calcitrans was offered a choice between these two oviposition substrates, flies always chose horse dung over cow dung, both when allowed to contact the substrates and when relying on dung odour alone. Analyses of volatile compounds emanating from horse and cow dung by gas chromatography linked antennogram recordings from S. calcitrans antennae revealed no differences in the chemostimuli released from the two substrates. The predominant chemostimulant compounds in both substrates were carboxylic acids (butanoic acid), alcohols (oct-1-en-3-ol), aldehydes (decanal), ketones (octan-3-one), phenols (p-cresol), indoles (skatole), terpenes (Ī²-caryophyllene) and sulphides (dimethyl trisulphide). Higher levels (20ā€“40 p.p.m.) of carbon dioxide were recorded over horse dung compared with cow dung, a factor that may contribute to the preference exhibited by S. calcitrans for this substrate for oviposition.
  • Publication
    AccĆØs libre
    Ultrastructure and receptor cell responses of the antennal grooved peg sensilla of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera : Reduviidae)
    Ultrastructural examination of grooved-peg (GP) sensilla on the antenna of fifth instar Triatoma infestans nymphs by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy reveal that they are 8-18 mum long with a diameter of about 2-2.8 mum at the non-articulated base. Some pegs have a terminal pore. These double-walled wall-pore (dw-wp) sensilla have an outer cuticular wall with 13-18 longitudinal grooves at the distal part of the peg. Groove channels are present at the bottom of the grooves from which radial spoke channels lead into the inner sensillum-lymph cavity. A dendrite sheath connects the tip of the thecogen cell to the inner cuticular wall thus forming separated outer and inner sensillum-lymph cavities. Four or five bipolar receptor cells are ensheathed successively within the GP sensilla by the thecogen cell, trichogen and tormogen cells. The inner dendritic segments of each sensory cell give rise at the ciliary constriction to an unbranched outer dendritic segment which can reach the tip of the sensillum. Electrophysiological recordings from the GP sensilla indicate that they house NH3, short-chain carboxylic acid and short-chain aliphatic amine receptor cells and can be divided into three functional sub-types (GP 1-3). All GP sensilla carry a receptor cell excited by aliphatic amines, such as isobutylamine, a compound associated with vertebrate odour. GP type 1 and 2 sensilla house, in addition, an NH3-excited cell whereas the type 2 sensilla also contains a short-chain carboxylic acid receptor. No cell particularly sensitive to either NH3 or carboxylic acids was found in the grooved-peg type 3 sensilla. GP types 1, 2 and 3 represent ca. 36, 10 and 43% of the GP sensilla, respectively, whereas the remaining 11% contain receptor cells that manifest normal spontaneous activity but do not respond to any of the afore mentioned stimuli. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    AccĆØs libre
    Olfactory and behavioural responses of the blood-sucking bug Triatoma infestans to odours of vertebrate hosts
    (2001)
    Guerenstein, Pablo G.
    ;
    Olfactory receptors in basiconic and grooved-peg sensilla on the antenna of fifth-instar Triatoma infestans nymphs respond to host odours. Gas chromatography analyses of host odour extracts coupled to electrophysiological recordings from basiconic sensillum receptors indicate that nonanal is a constituent of sheep wool and chicken feather odour that stimulates one of the receptors in this type of sensillum. Similar analyses revealed isobutyric acid in rabbit odour to be a chemostimulant for one of the receptors in grooved-peg sensilla. The response of the aldehyde receptor was higher to heptanal, octanal and nonanal than to other aliphatic aldehydes, and the response of the acid receptor was higher to isobutyric acid than to other short-chain branched and unbranched acids. The behavioural responses of fifth-instar T. infestans nymphs to nonanal and isobutyric acid in an air-stream on a servosphere indicate that, whereas nonanal causes activation of the bugs, isobutyric acid induces an increase in upwind displacement, i.e. odour-conditioned anemotaxis. Binary mixtures of these compounds did not improve the attraction obtained with isobutyric acid alone. A comparison of the behavioural and electrophysiological responses of the bugs to different amounts of isobutyric acid in air suggests that attraction is obtained at concentrations that causes low-to-moderate increases in the firing rate of the acid-excited receptor in the grooved-peg sensilla, whereas at a dose that evokes relatively high firing rates (>40 Hz) no attraction is obtained.
  • Publication
    AccĆØs libre
    Three-dimensional flight tracking shows how a visual target alters tsetse fly responses to human breath in a wind tunnel
    ;
    Harraca, Vincent
    ;
    Perret, Jean-Luc
    ;
    Casera, Steve
    ;
    Donnet, StƩphane
    ;
    Tsetse flies Glossina spp. (Diptera; Glossinidae) are blood-feeding vectors of disease that are attracted to vertebrate hosts by odours and visual cues. Studies on how tsetse flies approach visual devices are of fundamental interest because they can help in the development of more efficient control tools. The responses of a forest tsetse fly species Glossina brevipalpis (Newstead) to human breath are tested in a wind tunnel in the presence or absence of a blue sphere as a visual target. The flight responses are video recorded with two motion-sensitive cameras and characterized in three dimensions. Although flies make meandering upwind flights predominantly in the horizontal plane in the plume of breath alone, upwind flights are highly directed at the visual target presented in the plume of breath. Flies responding to the visual target fly from take-off within stricter flight limits at lower ground speeds and with a significantly lower variance in flight trajectories in the horizontal plane. Once at the target, flies fly in loops principally in the horizontal plane within 40 cm of the blue sphere before descending in spirals beneath it. Successful field traps designed for G. brevipalpis take into account the strong horizontal component in local search behaviour by this species at objects. The results suggest that trapping devices should also take into account the propensity of G. brevipalpis to descend to the lower parts of visual targets.