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Martina C, Krenn L, Krupicka L, Yamada H, Hood-Nowotny R, Lahuatte PF, Yar J, Schwemhofer T, Fischer B, Causton CE, Tebbich S. Evaluating Volatile Plant Compounds of Psidium galapageium (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) as Repellents Against Invasive Parasitic Diptera in the Galapagos Islands. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:89-98. [PMID: 34761264 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based repellents represent a safe, economic, and viable alternative to managing invasive insects that threaten native fauna. Observations of self-medication in animals can provide important cues to the medicinal properties of plants. A recent study in the Galapagos Islands found that Darwin's finches apply the leaves of Psidium galapageium (Hooker 1847) to their feathers, extracts of which were repellent to mosquitoes and the parasitic fly Philornis downsi (Dodge & Aitkens 1968; Diptera: Muscidae). Introduced mosquitoes are suspected vectors of avian pathogens in the Galapagos Islands, whereas the larvae of P. downsi are blood-feeders, causing significant declines of the endemic avifauna. In this study, we investigated the volatile compounds found in P. galapageium, testing each against a model organism, the mosquito Anopheles arabiensis (Patton 1905; Diptera: Culicidae), with the aim of singling out the most effective compound for repelling dipterans. Examinations of an ethanolic extract of P. galapageium, its essential oil and each of their respective fractions, revealed a mixture of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, the latter consisting mainly of guaiol, trans-nerolidol, and β-eudesmol. Of these, trans-nerolidol was identified as the most effective repellent to mosquitoes. This was subsequently tested at four different concentrations against P. downsi, but we did not find a repellence response. A tendency to avoid the compound was observed, albeit significance was not achieved in any case. The lack of repellence suggests that flies may respond to a combination of the volatile compounds found in P. galapageium, rather than to a single compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Martina
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Insect Pest Control Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - L Krenn
- Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - L Krupicka
- Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - H Yamada
- Insect Pest Control Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - R Hood-Nowotny
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - P F Lahuatte
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - J Yar
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - T Schwemhofer
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - B Fischer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - C E Causton
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - S Tebbich
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Taborsky B. The Evolution of Social Behaviour. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
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Tebbich S, Schwemhofer T, Fischer B, Pike C. Darwin’s finches habitually anoint their feathers with leaves of the endemic tree
Psidium galapageium
during the non‐breeding season. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Tebbich
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Timo Schwemhofer
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Barbara Fischer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Unit for Theoretical Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Courtney Pike
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
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