Abstract

Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), the grapevine moth, is one of the major pest on grapes. Current control is based on spraying insecticides and/or mating disruption technique, using female sex pheromone, affecting only adult male's conduct. Behavioral active compounds as plants kairomones influence the interaction of phytophagous insects with plants, providing chemical cues to feed or lay eggs. Through electroantennography (EAG) and olfactory experiments, we investigated the role of volatiles of the non-host plant Schinus molle L. on behavior of L. botrana. Steam distilled essential oil (EO) from S. molle leaves was characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The most abundant compounds were limonene (17.61%), alpha-phellandrene (14.32%), beta-caryophyllene (8.82%) and d-cadinene (9.39%). Electrical responses of L. botrana at 1x10(2) mu g mL(-1) EO were not different from control for females (0.81 mV) and males (1.22 mV). At 1x10(3) and 1x10(4) mu g mL(-1) EO we found a significant increment for females to 1.28 and 1.57 mV, and 1.28 and 1.69 mV for males, respectively. In tube-Y olfactometer, at 1x102 mu g mL(-1) EO the choice did not differ from the control for females (P = 0.7630) and males (P = 0.4054). Females were attracted to odor source at 1x103 mu g mL(-1) (P = 0.0043) and at 1x10(4) mu g mL(-1) (P = 0.0011). Males were attracted to the dose of 1x10(3) mu g mL(-1) (P = 0.0278) and at 1x10(4) mu g mL(-1) (P = 0.0017). We found that non-host plant volatiles elicited electrophysiological and behavioral responses and that L. botrana can discriminate between doses.