Volatile and Cuticular Chemical Profiling and Antennal Dose–Responses in Leptoglossus chilensis (Hemiptera: Coreidae)
TL;DR
The results provide the first chemical and sensory reference for this species and identify candidate compounds to guide future odour-based monitoring tools, which could reduce insecticide use and help prevent costly quarantine rejections of Chilean fruit exports.
Abstract
Simple Summary Leptoglossus chilensis is a native Chilean insect that damages fruit and nut crops and is a frequent reason fresh fruit shipments from Chile are rejected at import. Farmers currently rely on insecticide sprays because there is no lure or monitoring tool, as the chemical signals this insect uses to communicate were not previously characterised. We studied adult males and females using several methods to collect the compounds present on their body surfaces and in the air around them, and we measured how their antennae responded to eight odours already known from related pest species elsewhere. We detected more than 100 compounds, several matching those used by related species, and found that a compound initially suspected to be a male insect signal is more likely to originate from the host plant, an important distinction to resolve in future work. All eight odours triggered a response from the antennae, showing that this insect can detect them, even though their biological meaning remains untested. These results provide the first chemical and sensory reference for this species and identify candidate compounds to guide future odour-based monitoring tools, which could reduce insecticide use and help prevent costly quarantine rejections of Chilean fruit exports.