Identification of plant odours activating receptor neurones in the weevil Pissodes notatus F. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae).

Plants release complex mixtures of volatiles important in the interaction with insects and other organisms. In the search for compounds that contribute to the perception of odour quality in the weevil Pissodes notatus, single olfactory receptor neurones on the antennae were screened for sensitivity to naturally produced plant volatiles by the use of gas chromatography linked to single cell recordings. We here present 60 olfactory neurones responding to 25 of the numerous compounds released by host and non-host plants. All the neurones show high selectivity and are classified into 12 distinct types. The two most abundant types respond to alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and 3-carene ( n=17), and to isopinocamphone and pinocamphone ( n=17), respectively. Other neurone types respond to limonene ( n=9), beta-phellandrene ( n=3), and fenchone ( n=4). Responses to beta-caryophyllene ( n=1) and to ethanol ( n=4) are also shown. Except for two pairs, the neurone types do not show overlap of the molecular receptive range. The active compounds are present in the host, Pinus pinaster, as well as in non-hosts, supporting the idea that plant odour quality is mediated by the ratio of the compounds rather than specific odorants.