Host-Seeking and Acceptance Behaviour of Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larvae in Response to Volatile Compounds Emitted by Amaranth

Mariana Cruz-Díaz, Humberto Reyes-Prado, Víctor R. Castrejón-Gómez () and Paola Rossy García-Sosa
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Mariana Cruz-Díaz: Laboratorio de Ecoetología de Insectos, Escuela de Estudios Superiores del Jicarero, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Carretera Galeana-Tequesquitengo s/n, Comunidad El Jicarero, Jojutla 62915, Morelos, Mexico
Humberto Reyes-Prado: Laboratorio de Ecoetología de Insectos, Escuela de Estudios Superiores del Jicarero, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Carretera Galeana-Tequesquitengo s/n, Comunidad El Jicarero, Jojutla 62915, Morelos, Mexico
Víctor R. Castrejón-Gómez: Laboratorio de Ecología Química de Insectos, Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carretera Yautepec-Jojutla s/n-km 8.5, San Isidro 62739, Morelos, Mexico
Paola Rossy García-Sosa: Laboratorio de Ecología Química de Insectos, Centro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carretera Yautepec-Jojutla s/n-km 8.5, San Isidro 62739, Morelos, Mexico

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: In this study, the seeking behaviour and food acceptance of larvae of Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were analysed under laboratory conditions. Larval orientation and feeding preferences were assessed using a selection arena for neonate larvae and a four-way olfactometer for third-instar larvae. Stimulants included amaranth bars with additives (honey and chocolate) and natural amaranth (toasted grain only). The results showed that amaranth volatiles influence the orientation and feeding behaviour of this polyphagous insect. A marked preference for sugar-rich foods was observed, with amaranth with honey and amaranth with chocolate being the food sources most frequently chosen by the neonate larvae. These individuals exhibited a gregarious feeding behaviour and did not engage in cannibalism. The third-instar larvae also showed a preference for sweet food but were more attracted to the amaranth–additive combination. In the four-way olfactometer bioassays, chocolate was the most frequently chosen stimulus, while cellophane did not differ significantly from air. An analysis of volatile compounds by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that amaranth with chocolate releases more volatile compounds (16) compared with honey (12) and natural amaranth (6), suggesting that these volatiles could possibly influence the larvae’s choice of food source.

Keywords: pests; stored grain; volatiles; sugars; four-way olfactometer; ethograms; volatile identification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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