D3125: Electroantennographic responses of Eucosma giganteana to Silphium host plant volatiles and the volatile emissions from conspecifics

Silphium integrifolium is a perennial plant that is being developed as an oil seed and biofuel crop in the Midwestern United States. One of the primary pests is the Giant Eucosma Moth, Eucosma giganteana (Riley) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which bores into the roots and reduces yield and affects health of the plant. Even though E. giganteana significantly influences Silphium productivity there is still little known about their chemical ecology. Specifically, their responses to host volatiles from Silphium and emissions from conspecific moths have never been studied. Thus, we collected E. giganteana adults from the Land Institute in Salina, KS and sampled headspace volatile emissions from groups of males and females at night, as well as volatiles in situ with field aeration from the Silphium plants. These volatiles were characterized with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and then evaluated with a gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detector (GC-EAD) to test E. giganteana antennal responses. We identified putative EAD active compounds that have potential to modify E. giganteana. Future work should isolate the behavioral relevance of these identified compounds. This research will help to develop a behaviorally-based approach for managing E. giganteana in Silphium fields.