Volatiles from endangered Braya longii (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) influence oviposition choice by Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract Long’s Braya, Braya longii Fernald (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), is an endangered plant in the family Brassicaceae found only on the Limestone Barrens of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada. Conservation of this species hinges on management of pests, diseases, and disturbances, which threaten their small populations. In particular, a global agricultural pest, diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), causes significant damage to persistence of B. longii and contributes to possible extinction. This study investigates if there are key volatiles that attract P. xylostella to B. longii, thereby contributing to the pest’s impact on the plant. Headspace collections, GC-MS, and GC-EAD revealed a unique volatile profile for B. longii, with (E)-2-nonenal as a key volatile that elicited strong antennal responses in P. xylostella. Oviposition assays confirmed female preference for E2-nonenal-baited radishes. This finding has implications for P. xylostella pest management, highlights the importance of chemical ecology in both crop protection and endangered species conservation.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Environmental Entomology

• Publication date

  2025-09-11

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1093/ee/nvaf086PMID 40966464PMCID 12543317
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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