Molecular Bases for the Biosynthesis of Species-Specific Sex Pheromones in the Genus Ostrinia (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

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Insect Sex Pheromone Research and Beyond

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Abstract

The genus Ostrinia (Lepidoptera; Crambidae) consists of 21 species worldwide, 9 of which inhabit Japan. These closely related species, which utilize different host plants, provide an excellent model for studies on the evolution of sex pheromone communication systems as well as speciation. In this chapter, we review the progress of research on the sex pheromone communication system of Ostrinia inhabiting Japan. We focus on the molecular bases for the biosynthesis of sex pheromone components, differential production of which is responsible for the divergence of sex pheromones.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to our numerous collaborators, without whose help it would have been impossible to continue studies on a single group of moths, Ostrinia, for more than 30 years.

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Correspondence to Yukio Ishikawa .

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Ishikawa, Y., Fujii, T. (2020). Molecular Bases for the Biosynthesis of Species-Specific Sex Pheromones in the Genus Ostrinia (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). In: Ishikawa, Y. (eds) Insect Sex Pheromone Research and Beyond. Entomology Monographs. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3082-1_7

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