Eur. J. Entomol. 91 (4): 361-370, 1994
Oviposition-deterring pheromone in Chrysopa oculata (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
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Larvae of Chrysopa oculata Say mark, chemically, the substrate with a substance secreted from the tip of their abdomen. The effect of paper substrates contaminated with this secretion on the oviposition of C. oculata females was assessed in laboratory choice experiments. The active substance(s) were soluble in chloroform and in water but not in methanol, ethylether or petroleum ether. Paper substrates treated with extracts of the substance remained activeat room temperature for up to three weeks. The effectiveness, in terms of the amount of active secretion produced per unit of larval body weight, was greater for first rather than for third instar larvae. These results indicate the presence of a chemical factor or pheromone that serves to deter females of C. oculata from ovipositing near where larvae of this species are already present.
Keywords: Chrysopa oculata, predator dispersion, oviposition spacing, oviposition pheromone
Accepted: July 13, 1994; Published: December 20, 1994 Show citation
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