Male mites (Varroa destructor) perceive the female sex pheromone with the sensory pit organ on the front leg tarsi
2015
Häußermann, Claudia Katharina | Ziegelmann, Bettina | Bergmann, Paavo | Rosenkranz, Peter
Varroa destructor males are attracted by a volatile sex pheromone of female mites. We assume that this pheromone is perceived by the sensory pit organ on the front leg tarsi. To test this hypothesis, the front legs of the males were varnished with nail polish. The behavior of the thus treated males toward attractive female mites was analyzed in our mating bioassay and compared to untreated control males and to males with varnished idiosoma. The control males with the varnished idiosoma revealed the same distinct copulation behavior as untreated males whereas the males with the varnished front legs did not show copulation attempts any more. Hence, the sensory pit organ is responsible for the perception of female signals that elicit the copulation behavior. Additionally, a first scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis is presented to characterize the male sensory pit organ.
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