Do mated tribolium confusum adults respond to blends of odors?

Abstract

In this paper we report the behavioral responses of mated Tribolium confusum to blends of volatiles using a Y-tube olfactometer. Four doses of volatiles (1 ng.min-1, 10 ng.min-1, 100 ng.min-1, and 1,000 ng.min-1 in 50 μl of hexane applied on filter paper) were tested. A Y-tube experiment revealed that both mated females and males of Tribolium confusum were attracted to blends 4 and 5 at concentrations of 100 ng.min-1 and 10 ng.min-1, respectively. Moreover, mated females of tested insects were also attracted to blends 1 and 5. Yet the weevil females and males were repelled by the highest concentrations (1,000 ng·min-1) for all tested blends. Additionally, a 100 ng·min-1 concentration also repelled both sexes in blends 2, 3, 5, and 6.