Antonio Ortiz

Volatile constituents of needles of five Pinus species grown in Greece

Abstract The chemical composition of the volatile metabolites from needles of Pinus halepensis Miller, P. brutia Tenore, P. nigra Arnold, P. pinea Linnaeus and P. canariensis Sweet and Sprengel, grown in natural habitats in Attiki, Greece, was analysed. The variability and chemotaxonomic importance of the terpenoid constituents are discussed.

Low doses of ivermectin cause sensory and locomotor disorders in dung beetles

Ivermectin is a veterinary pharmaceutical generally used to control the ecto- and endoparasites of livestock, but its use has resulted in adverse effects on coprophilous insects, causing population decline and biodiversity loss. There is currently no information regarding the direct effects of ivermectin on dung beetle physiology and behaviour. Here, based on electroantennography and spontaneous muscle force tests, we show sub-lethal disorders caused by ivermectin in sensory and locomotor systems of Scarabaeus cicatricosus, a key dung beetle species in Mediterranean ecosystems. Our findings show that ivermectin decreases the olfactory and locomotor capacity of dung beetles, preventing them from performing basic biological activities. These effects are observed at concentrations lower than those usually measured in the dung of treated livestock. Taking into account that ivermectin acts on both glutamate-gated and GABA-gated chloride ion channels of nerve and muscle cells, we predict that ivermectin’s effects at the physiological level could influence many members of the dung pat community. The results indicate that the decline of dung beetle populations could be related to the harmful effects of chemical contamination in the dung.

Volatile Needle Terpenoids of Six Pinus Species

Abstract The terpenoid composition of the needle oils of syntopically grown Pinus armandi Franch, P. densiflora Sieb. & Zucc., P. longaeva Bailey, P. mugo Turra, P. pumila (Pall.) Regel and P. sylvestris L. were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Seventy-six compounds were identified in the oils. P. armandi was found to be rich in β-caryophyllene (36.3%) and γ-muurolene (40.7%). P. densiflora contained α-pinene (13.2%), β-phellandrene (11.6%) and germacrene D as major compounds. The predominant compounds in P. longaeva oil were α-pinene (17.1%), β-pinene (17.7%) and β-phellandrene (32.5%), the major component of P. mugo oil was α-pinene (33.3%) while P. pumila oil was rich in δ-3-carene (14.9%), β-phellandrene (10.7%) and terpinolene (37.7%). An unusual strain of P. sylvestris possessed an oil rich in caryophyllene oxide (12.7%) and manoyl oxide (30.2%) rather than the usual monoterpene hydrocarbons

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils and Headspace Samples of Two Helichrysum Species Occurring in Spain

Abstract The oils obtained by hydrodistillation and the headspace volatiles from the aerial parts of Helichrysum italicum ssp. serotinum (Boiss) and H. stoechas ssp. stoechas (Moench) were analyzed by means of GC and GC/MS. Both oils were found to be dominated by non-oxygenated monoterpenes. A total of 68 compounds were identified. The major components of H. italicum ssp. serotinum were guaiol (8.9%), nerol (7.0%) and β-caryophyllene (6.0%), while those of H. stoechas ssp. stoechas were: α-pinene (28.3%), epi-α-bisabolol (21.9%) and β-caryophyllene (5.5%). Furthermore, the bacteriostatic activity of the oils against two Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacteria was evaluated.

Volatile Constituents of Three Pinus Species Grown in Greece

Abstract The composition of the twig, xylem and cortex resin oils of Pinus halepensis Miller, P. brutia Tenore and P. canariensis Sweet species grown in natural habitats in Attiki, Greece were analyzed by GC and GC/M S. Thirty five components were detected, characterized and quantified on the basis of their retention indices and mass spectra. The majority of the components were found to be monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. P. halepensis twig oil was found to be rich in α-pinene (15.8%), 8–3-carene (15.6%), limonene (10.2%) and β-caryophyllene (18.1%). The twig oil of P. brutia contained α-pinene (17.8%), β-pinene (25.5%), δ-3-carene (16.2%) and β-caryophyllene (12.1%), while P. canariensis twig oil contained α-pinene (43.7%), germacrene D (11.0%) and aristolene (12.5%). The cortex resin and xylem oils were all rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons.

Seasonal Variation of Oleoresin Terpenoids from Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinea and Host Selection of the Scale Insect Marchalina hellenica (Homoptera, Coccoidea, Margarodidae, Coelostonidiinae)

Summary Seasonal variation of the volatile terpenoids of Pinus pinea Ten and Pinus halepensis Mill, infested and uninfested by the caterpillar Marchalina hellenica, was followed by GC and GC-MS analyses of the pines cortical oleoresin. α-Pinene was found to be the dominant monoterpene in P. halepensis, while in P. pinea limonene was the most abundant compound. A significant decrease in the number of identified volatiles from winter to summer was observed and was more pronounced in the minor metabolites. Variation of the terpenoids according to the depth of the draining (drilling) holes in the trees was also determined. In addition, terpenoids were correlated with the results of cross feeding experiments designed for the study of the host preference of M. hellenica. All results revealed the dependence of M. hellenica on the secondary chemistry of the host. P. pinea, having a high content of limonene, appears to be more resistant to the caterpillar. Canonical discriminant analysis, in the discriminant space of the relative contribution of the ten major terpenes, separated P. pinea from P. halepensis, and infested from uninfested P. halepensis trees.

Potential for use of synthetic sex pheromone for mating disruption of the olive pyralid moth, Euzophera pinguis.

The potential for pheromone-based mating disruption of the olive pyralid moth (OPM), Euzophera pinguis, in olive groves was investigated during the second flight period in small-plot trials in 2002. The female of this species emits a blend of (9Z,12E)-tetradecadien-1-ol and (9Z,12E)-tetradecadienyl acetate, which were synthesized for field tests. Mating disruption efficacy in 0.8-ha trials was evaluated using two parameters: reduction of male capture in pheromone traps and reduction of infestation in infestation-prone sites. White rubber septa containing 10 mg of pheromone blend as disruptant were applied at a density of 50 septa/ha for each treatment. Mean catches of E. pinguis males in pheromone traps were greatly reduced (>95%) in pheromone-treated plots relative to similar traps placed in control plots. In addition, significant reductions were recorded (35–40%) in the oviposition and infestation levels during pheromone treatment. The total amount of pheromone blend released from disruption dispensers during the field trials was estimated to average 5.4 mg/ha/day, over 56 days.

MONOTERPENOID DIVERSITY IN RELATION TO MORPHOLOGY OF PINUS BRUTIA AND PINUS HALEPENSIS IN AN EAST MEDITERRANEAN AREA (ATTIKI, GREECE): IMPLICATIONS FOR PINE EVOLUTION

Pinus halepensis and P. brutia hybridize extensively. The analysis of monoterpenoid and morphological variability of 122 pine trees at five sites showed that the within-site heterogeneity is high while the entire provenance diversity is comparable with that of a circum-Mediterranean scale. Four morphotypes and four chemotypes were recognized. The congruence between morphological and monoterpenoid classification of pines was high (coefficient of contingency 89%) while thirteen family groups of genetically closely related trees were found by means of a specifically designed sampling scheme of continuous classification – identification and re-sampling. Putative hybrids contributed substantially to the observed diversity and there is considerable heterogeneity between sites. Low-altitude sites, presumably susceptible to sea-level fluctuations, alluvial deposition and human influence, are in general more diverse at both levels of genetic complexity than inland sites. The hybrid phenotypes were not merely intermediate forms of parental taxa, and in a multivariate sense they are located on a parabola in the space of morphological properties. The arrangement of hybrids in the monoterpenoid space did not reveal any clear-cut pattern except that three major composite axes can summarize 98.9% of the entire monoterpenoid variation. The observed pattern of variation was interpreted as a result of waves of introgressive influence of eastern P. brutia population on P. halepensis , which was caused by marine transgressions in Pliocene and eustatic sea-level fluctuations in Pleistocene. The human influence on this introgression accelerated the process, and amplified the resulted pattern, although it blurred in many instances the biogeographic routes of germplasm mixing. Its bearing on the evolution of pines is discussed, and it was found that the ‘Eocene refugia hypothesis’ of C.I. Millar holds by analogy also in central Aegean pines.

Chemical diversity and potential biological functions of the pygidial gland secretions in two species of Neotropical dung roller beetles

Dung roller beetles of the genus Canthon (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) emit an odorous secretion from a pair of pygidial glands. To investigate the chemical composition of these secretions, we used stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for analysis of extracts of pygidial gland secretions secreted by the dung roller beetles Canthon femoralis femoralis and Canthon cyanellus cyanellus. Chemical analyses of volatiles collected from pygidial gland secretions comprise a great diversity of the functional groups. Chemical profile comparisons showed high intra- and interspecific variability. The pygidial gland secretion of Canthon f. femoralis was dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, whereas the profile of Canthon c. cyanellus was dominated by carboxylic acids. The different pygidial secretions have a high diversity of chemical compounds suggesting a multifunctional nature involving some key functions in the biology. We discuss the biological potential of these compounds found in the pygidial glands of each species with respect to their ecological and behavioral relevance.

Behavioral and antennal electrophysiological responses of a predator ant to the pygidial gland secretions of two species of Neotropical dung roller beetles

The pygidial gland secretions of Neotropical dung roller beetles appear to function as defensive agents against predator ants. Behavioral and electrophysiological tests were used to evaluate the responses of the ant Camponotus sericeiventris to pygidial compounds secreted by the dung roller beetles Canthon cyanellus cyanellus and Canthon femoralis femoralis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Our behavioral investigation revealed a lower aggressive response of C. sericeiventris to the dung roller beetles compared to their response to the fly Anastrepha ludens. Additionally, C. sericeiventris workers attacked C. f. femoralis more often than C. c. cyanellus. The behavioral aggression of C. sericeiventris was greater toward male than female C. c. cyanellus. Electroantennography showed that the antennae of C. sericeiventris react to pygidial extracts from C. c. cyanellus and C. f. femoralis. Three compounds from male and female C. f. femoralis and C. c. cyanellus elicited coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram (GC-EAD) activity in the antennae of C. sericeiventris. Geraniol and an unknown compound (A) were specific for C. f. femoralis, whereas guaiacol and another unknown compound (B) were specific to C. c. cyanellus; phenol was shared by both beetle species. This is the first report confirming that the pygidial gland secretions of dung roller beetles play a role in their defense against predators.