Selective odor perception in the soil collembolaOnychiurus armatus

Abstract

The olfactorial response of the fungivorous soil collembolanOnychiurus armatus was examined in a bioassay covering volatile compounds identified in the odor blends of two of its preferred fungal speciesMonierella isabellina andVerticillium bulbillosum. The odor of the fungi was trapped using activated carbon filters, extracted with diethyl ether, and subjected to GC-MS analysis. About 50% of the compounds resolved by GC were identified by a combination of electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectrometry. In a Y-shaped olfactometer the collembolans were attracted to a variety of common odors, such as CO₂ and 2-methyl-1-propanol, and a species-specific odor, such as 1-heptene, and arrested by, for example, decanal and 2-octene. The response was not improved by pairwise combinations of common and specific odors. An amount of 0.5 ng of ethyl acetate or 3 pg of 1-pentanol was sufficient to attract the collembolans. The specific compounds ofV. bulbillosum, 1-heptene and 1-octen-3-ol, may be key stimuli explaining whyO. armatus prefersV. bulbillosum.