ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Apion miniatum Germ. Herbivory on the Mossy
Sorrel, Rumex confertus Willd.: Induced Plant
Volatiles and Weevil Orientation Responses
Dariusz Piesik1, Ireneusz Kalka2, Anna Wenda-Piesik3, Jan Bocianowski4
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1Department of Entomology and Molecular Phytopathology, University of Technology and Life Sciences,
85-225 Bydgoszcz, Kordeckiego 20, Poland
2Lechpol Sp. z o.o., 89-200 Szubin, Jana Pawła II 36, Poland
3Department of Plant Growth Principles and Experimental Methodology,
University of Technology and Life Sciences, 85-225 Bydgoszcz, Kordeckiego 20, Poland
4Poznań University of Life Sciences, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods,
Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Submission date: 2014-01-21
Acceptance date: 2014-04-30
Publication date: 2014-12-16
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(6):2149-2156
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ABSTRACT
In this paper we report on the large induction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a single leaf
of the mossy sorrel, Rumex confertus Willd. (Polygonaceae), by herbivory of the red dock weevil (Apion
miniatum Germ., Coleoptera: Apionidae). VOC blends induced by the red dock weevil herbivory included 5
green leaf volatiles (GLVs) ((Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl
acetate), two esters (benzyl acetate, methyl salicylate), and four terpenes ((Z)-β-ocimene, linalool, β-
caryophyllene, (E)-β-farnesene). Not surprisingly, uninjured plants produced only small amounts of VOCs. A
Y-tube experiment revealed that females of A. miniatum were attracted to the blend (blend 1) of (Z)-3-hexenal
+ (E)-2-hexenal + (Z)-3-hexenol + (E)-2-hexenol + (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate at two concentrations of 1 and
5 ng·min-1. In contrast males of the red dock weevil were not attracted to any tested concentration. Moreover,
females and males of A. miniatum were not attracted to any concentration of blend 2 ((Z)-ocimene + linalool
+ benzyl acetate + methyl salicylate + ß-caryophyllene + (E)-ß-farnesene). Yet the red dock weevil females
and males were repelled by the highest concentration (125 ng·min-1) for both blends.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.