Identification and Behavioral Assays of Alarm Pheromone in the Vetch Aphid Megoura viciae

Aphids are destructive pests, and alarm pheromones play a key role in their chemical ecology. Here, we conducted a detailed analysis of terpenoids in the vetch aphid, Megoura viciae, and its host plant Pisum sativum using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Four major components, (-)-beta-pinene (49.74%), (E)-beta-farnesene (32.64%), (-)-alpha-pinene (9.42%) and (+)-limonene (5.24%), along with trace amounts of (+)-sabinene, camphene and alpha-terpineol) (3.14%) were found in the aphid. In contrast, few terpenoids were found in the host plant, consisting mainly of squalene (66.13%) and its analog 2,3-epoxysqualene (31.59%). Quantitative analysis of the four major terpenes in different developmental stages of the aphid showed that amounts of the monoterpenes increased with increasing stage, while the sesquiterpene amount peaked in the 3rd instar. (-)-beta-Pinene was the most abundant terpene at all developmental stages. Behavioral assays using a three-compartment olfactometer revealed that the repellency of single compounds varied in a concentration-dependent manner, but two mixtures [(-)-alpha-pinene: (-)-beta-pinene: (E)-beta-farnesene: (+)-limonene = 1:44.4:6.5:2.2 or 1:18.4:1.3:0.8], were repellent at all concentrations tested. Our results suggest that (-)-alpha-pinene and (-)-beta-pinene are the major active components of the alarm pheromone of M. viciae, but that mixtures play a key role in the alarm response. Our study contributes to the understanding of the chemical ecology of aphids and may help design new control strategies against this aphid pest.

Automated summary

Aphids and their host plants have different compositions of terpenoids, with (-)-beta-pinene, (E)-beta-farnesene, (-)-alpha-pinene, and (+)-limonene being the major components in aphids. These compounds have developmental stage-specific effects on aphids, with mixtures playing a key role in alarm responses.