Antennal and behavioral responses of Mythimna separata (Walker) to three plant volatiles.

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata, is distributed widely in eastern Asia and Australia. The response of M.separata to 27 compounds identified from plant volatiles was determined from electroantennography (EAG) and wind tunnel results, which allowed an evaluation of the possible plant volatile compounds. The highest EAG values of males were elicited by trans-2,cis-6-nonadienal, and virgin females by benzyl alcohol. The amplitude in EAG dose-response was in the range of 0.24 to 2.87 mV. In the wind tunnel bioassays, significantly more females showed behavioral responses to wilting leaves and headspace collection of Pterocarya stenoptera rather than control. In addition, significantly more females flew upwind with beta-ocimene compared with the control. The number of females that landed at the source with cis-3-hexen-1-ol, phenylethyl alcohol, trans-2-nonenal, and 2-pentylfuran was significantly different from the number that moved towards control.