Solena amplexicaulis (Cucurbitaceae) flower surface wax influencing attraction of a generalist insect herbivore, Aulacophora foveicollis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Aulacophora foveicollisLucas causes economic losses to creeping cucumber [Solena amplexicaulis(Lam.) Gandhi] growers in India and Bangladesh because adults feed on the leaves and flowers causing death of the plant. The insect is a generalist herbivore as it also causes damage to pumpkin, bottle gourd, sponge-gourd and gac fruit production by feeding on leaves and flowers of these plants. At present, insects are controlled with insecticides, which are harmful to human health and the environment. We studied the behavioural responses of adultA. foveicollisto flower surface waxes and synthetic compounds mimicking flower surface waxes to determine their potential for monitoring this pest. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analyses ofS. amplexicaulisflower (50 g) surface waxes indicated presence of 17.9 and 3.1 mg alkanes and free fatty acids, respectively. Seventeenn-alkanes fromn-C15ton-C34and 16 free fatty acids from C10:0 to C22:0 were detected in the flower surface waxes. Heptacosane was predominant amongn-alkanes representing 2748.1 µg; whereas, pentadecanoic acid was the major fatty acid accounting for 466.6 µg.Aulacophora foveicolliswere attracted to the flower surface waxes at concentrations of 4 to 8 μg/ml, as demonstrated by a Y-tube olfactometer bioassay. Using a dose response bioassay, the insect was shown to be attracted to individual synthetic pentadecane, heptacosane, nonacosane, undecanoic acid and nonadecanoic acid at 0.70, 0.70, 1.20, 1.60 and 1.40 µg/ml, respectively. The insect displayed highest attraction to a synthetic mixture of 0.70, 1.23, 0.77, 0.84, 0.94 and 0.74 µg/ml of pentadecane, heptacosane, nonacosane, undecanoic acid, lauric acid and nonadecanoic acid, respectively, and hence, this combination might be used for insect pest management such as in baited traps.