Evidence of a pheromone involved in the behaviour of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract

Recent findings have documented the importance of (Z)‐11‐octadecenyl acetate (cVA) in the melanogaster group as a sex pheromone that regulates several sexual and social behaviours. However, this pheromone is missing in Drosophila suzukii, thus posing the question of whether it could have been replaced by another compound similar to cVA. Olfactory responses of D. suzukii females and males to conspecific volatiles in laboratory and field trails suggest the existence of a pheromone. Females attracted more females and males than the control. In field trials, both sexes were successfully captured in traps baited with conspecifics. Females were attracted to conspecific females and males. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry of volatiles showed that both sexes released 18 compounds, including Z‐9‐tricosene, hexacosane and heneicosane. Our results suggest that these compounds may influence the behaviour of D. suzukii and can act as sex or aggregation pheromones.