Skip to main content
Article
Infection with the insect virus Hz-2v alters mating behavior and pheromone production in female Helicoverpa zea moths
Journal of Insect Science (2005)
  • John Burand, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Weijia Tan
  • Woojin Kim
  • Satoshi Nojima
  • Wendell Roelofs
Abstract
The effect of Hz-2V virus infection on the reproductive physiology and behavior of infected Helicoverpa zea female moths was examined. In the absence of males, infected females exhibited calling behavior and called as often but for shorter periods on average than control females. As expected, control females mated with males for extend periods when they were present and did not call after mating, while virus-infected females made many frequent contacts with males and continued to call even after these contacts. Virus-infected females were found to produce five to seven times more pheromone than control females and attracted twice as many males as did control females in flight tunnel experiments. The ability of Hz-2V to alter the physiology and behavior of infected females observed here may serve to facilitate the transmission of virus in insect populations.
Keywords
  • gonad specific virus,
  • Helicoverpa zea,
  • Hz-2V,
  • insect virus,
  • mating behavior,
  • pheromone
Disciplines
Publication Date
March 24, 2005
DOI
10.1093/jis/5.1.6
Citation Information
John Burand, Weijia Tan, Woojin Kim, Satoshi Nojima, et al.. "Infection with the insect virus Hz-2v alters mating behavior and pheromone production in female Helicoverpa zea moths" Journal of Insect Science Vol. 5 Iss. 6 (2005)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/john_burand/4/
Creative Commons license
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC_BY International License.