Volatiles released from plants are important cues in insect host plant recognition. Recent studies on several insect species suggest that host plant volatiles might play a fundamental role in the shift between hosts and subsequently in the formation of new insect species. This might also be the case for gall midges. Most gall midge species are highly specialised on one type of plant. Closely related gall midges can sometimes live on plants from different plant families while distantly related species sometimes co-exist on the same plant.

Four gall midge species will be studied in this project, two of them use wheat as host plant (Sitodiplosis mosellana and Contarinia tritici) and two of them use cabbage (C. nasturtii and Dasineura brassicae). Two of the species, C. nasturii and C. tritici, are closely related.
In this project behavioral, genetic and electrophysiological methods will be used to test the following questions regarding evolution of host plant choice in gall midges: Do gall midges associated with the same host plant use the same or a similar set of odors to identify it? And, conversely, do closely related species that have different host plant requirements respond to odors common for the different plants?

The phylogenic relationship between the studied gall midges will be studied using "Restriction fragment length polymorphism" (RFLP). Active components in host plant bouquets will be identified using linked gas chromatography-electrophysiology and mass spectrometry. Behavioral activity will be investigated in e.g. 4-arm olfactometer, wind tunnel or on a locomotion compensator sphere. Functional characteristics of antennal ORNs will be studied using single neuron electrophysiology performed in a specific micro-recording setup. To further improve our understanding of the system morphological characteristics of the antennae of all species will be studied using electron microscopy.

Funding
The Linnaeus initiative "Insect Chemical Ecology, Ethology and Evolution" IC-E3.

Personnel
Ylva Hillbur, Tina Boddum, Göran Birgersson, Elin Isberg, Johannes Albertsson.

Collaboration
Marcus Stensmyr (MPI, Jena), Robert Baur (Agroscope, Switzerland), Wittko Francke (University of Hamburg, Germany), Marion O. Harris (North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA), Jeff Stuart (Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA).

Selected References
Andersson M, Stuart JJ, Harris MO, Foster SP, Haftmann J, Franke S, Francke W and Hillbur Y. Identification of sex pheromone components of the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor. In prep.

Boddum T, Skals N, Wiren M, Baur B, Rauscher S and Hillbur Y. Laboratory and field study af the attraction of male swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii, to various pheromone blends. In prep.

Hillbur Y, Celander M, Baur R, Rauscher S, Haftmann J, Franke S & Francke W (2005). Identification of the sex pheromone of the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii. Journal of Chemical Ecology. Vol. 31, No 8. 1807-1828.

Hillbur Y, Bengtson M, Löfquist J, Biddle A, Pillon O, Plass E, Francke W and Hallberg E (2001). A chiral sex pheromone system in the pea midge, Contarinia pisi. Journal of chemical Ecology. Vol 27. 7. 1391-1407.

Hillbur Y, El-Sayed A, Bengtsson M, Löfquist J, Biddle A, Plass E & Francke W.(2000). Laboratory and field study of the attraction of the pea midge, Contarina pisi, to synthetic sex pheromone components. Journal of Chemical Ecology. Vol. 26, No 8. 1941-1952.

Hillbur Y, Anderson P, Arn H, Bengtsson M & Löfquist J (1999). Identification of sex pheromone components of the pea midge, Contarinia pisi (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Naturwissenschafen 86. 292-294.

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