Abstract

Volatiles from wheat and oat seedlings elicited attraction in apterae and alatae Rhopalosiphum padi. Cereal volatiles were identified by GC-MS and olfactometric tests were performed with each compound. Attraction of aphids was elicited by (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenol, (Z)-2-hexenol, n-heptanal, n-octanal, n-nonanal, n-decanal, benzaldehyde, and linalool. The difference between the sensory capacity of alatae and apterae is discussed in relation to migrations between hosts during their life cycle.