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First published online June 11, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 2163-2169 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02789

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A male sex pheromone in a parasitic wasp and control of the behavioral response by the female's mating status

Joachim Ruther^1,*, Lina M. Stahl¹, Sven Steiner¹, Leif A. Garbe² and Till Tolasch³

¹ Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, D-12163 Berlin, Germany
² Institut für Biotechnologie, Technische Universität Berlin, Seestraße 13, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
³ Tierökologie 220c, Universität Hohenheim, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: ruther{at}zedat.fu-berlin.de)

Accepted 17 April 2007

Male insects may increase their chance of successful reproduction by releasing pheromones that attract females or elicit sexual acceptance. In parasitic wasps, male pheromones have been suggested for a few species but no chemicals have been identified so far. Here we report the first identification of a male sex pheromone in parasitic Hymenoptera. In abdomens of male jewel wasps, Nasonia vitripennis Walker, we found a mixture of (4R,5R)- and (4R,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide (HDL), which was released intermittently and attracted virgin females, but no males, in an olfactometer bioassay. However, only a few minutes after copulation mated females avoided the male-derived pheromone. Neither preference nor avoidance was shown by mated females after 24 h and even after they had been allowed to oviposit for 6 days. Nasonia vitripennis females normally mate only once. Thus, their variable response to the sex attractant depending on the mating status makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Firstly, it increases the chance of virgins to be inseminated. Secondly, by terminating the response or even avoiding the male pheromone, mated females decrease the probability of encountering males and being disturbed by their courtship activities when searching for new oviposition sites.

Key words: 5-hydroxy-4-decanolide, Hymenoptera, mating behavior, Nasonia vitripennis, parasitic wasp, parasitoid, Pteromalidae, sex pheromone

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This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Ruther, M. Matschke, L.-A. Garbe, and S. Steiner Quantity matters: male sex pheromone signals mate quality in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis Proc R Soc B, September 22, 2009; 276(1671): 3303 - 3310. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Steiner and J. Ruther How important is sex for females of a haplodiploid species under local mate competition? Behav. Ecol., May 1, 2009; 20(3): 570 - 574. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Abdel-latief, L. A. Garbe, M. Koch, and J. Ruther An epoxide hydrolase involved in the biosynthesis of an insect sex attractant and its use to localize the production site PNAS, July 1, 2008; 105(26): 8914 - 8919. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]