4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy
The potato tuber moth, <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> (Zeller), is an important pest of potato crops capable of boring into and consuming the potato tubers. Although chemical insecticides are employed to control <i>P. operculella</i> populations, their efficacy is frequently...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Xinyu Ma Junjie Yan Guangyuan Su Fathiya M. Khamis Athanase Hategekiman Yulin Gao |
| author_facet | Xinyu Ma Junjie Yan Guangyuan Su Fathiya M. Khamis Athanase Hategekiman Yulin Gao |
| author_sort | Xinyu Ma |
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| description | The potato tuber moth, <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> (Zeller), is an important pest of potato crops capable of boring into and consuming the potato tubers. Although chemical insecticides are employed to control <i>P. operculella</i> populations, their efficacy is frequently limited, raising environmental concerns. Host plant volatiles are important allelochemicals that can be exploited for the management of pests. In our previous studies, we identified five volatile organic compounds (3-ethylacetophenone, 4-ethylacetophenone, geranylacetone, ethylbenzene, and 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone) as allelochemicals potentially influencing the oviposition behavior of <i>P. operculella</i>. Using electroantennography (EAG) and behavioral assays, we found that 4-ethylacetophenone significantly repelled <i>P. operculella</i> at all tested concentrations (1 μg, 10 μg, and 100 μg; <i>p</i> < 0.05), while 3-ethylacetophenone showed no significant effects (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Finally, the effect of 4-ethylacetophenone on preventing <i>P. operculella</i> from laying eggs was determined by an oviposition selection experiment. Our findings indicate that 4-ethylacetophenone derived from potato plants not only repels <i>P. operculella</i> and prevents egg-laying but also has the potential to reduce the number of eggs, making it a promising green alternative for controlling this pest. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-32b0b6c9970545c3b4c9e99dd4cc7b39 |
| institution | DOAJ |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-32b0b6c9970545c3b4c9e99dd4cc7b392025-08-20T03:13:50ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-04-0116440310.3390/insects160404034-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management StrategyXinyu Ma0Junjie Yan1Guangyuan Su2Fathiya M. Khamis3Athanase Hategekiman4Yulin Gao5State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaInternational Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaRwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board RAB, Kigali P.O. Box 5016, RwandaState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaThe potato tuber moth, <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> (Zeller), is an important pest of potato crops capable of boring into and consuming the potato tubers. Although chemical insecticides are employed to control <i>P. operculella</i> populations, their efficacy is frequently limited, raising environmental concerns. Host plant volatiles are important allelochemicals that can be exploited for the management of pests. In our previous studies, we identified five volatile organic compounds (3-ethylacetophenone, 4-ethylacetophenone, geranylacetone, ethylbenzene, and 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone) as allelochemicals potentially influencing the oviposition behavior of <i>P. operculella</i>. Using electroantennography (EAG) and behavioral assays, we found that 4-ethylacetophenone significantly repelled <i>P. operculella</i> at all tested concentrations (1 μg, 10 μg, and 100 μg; <i>p</i> < 0.05), while 3-ethylacetophenone showed no significant effects (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Finally, the effect of 4-ethylacetophenone on preventing <i>P. operculella</i> from laying eggs was determined by an oviposition selection experiment. Our findings indicate that 4-ethylacetophenone derived from potato plants not only repels <i>P. operculella</i> and prevents egg-laying but also has the potential to reduce the number of eggs, making it a promising green alternative for controlling this pest.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/4/403potato tuber mothrepellentsplant volatileelectrophysiological behavioral responses |
| spellingShingle | Xinyu Ma Junjie Yan Guangyuan Su Fathiya M. Khamis Athanase Hategekiman Yulin Gao 4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy Insects potato tuber moth repellents plant volatile electrophysiological behavioral responses |
| title | 4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy |
| title_full | 4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy |
| title_fullStr | 4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy |
| title_full_unstemmed | 4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy |
| title_short | 4-Ethylacetophenone from Potato Plants Repels <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> and Inhibits Oviposition: A Sustainable Management Strategy |
| title_sort | 4 ethylacetophenone from potato plants repels i phthorimaea operculella i and inhibits oviposition a sustainable management strategy |
| topic | potato tuber moth repellents plant volatile electrophysiological behavioral responses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/4/403 |
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