Protocol for aerial trapping and analyses of candidate pheromone compounds released by moths via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Abstract

Summary: Detection of pheromones is pivotal to chemical ecology and agronomy; however, analytic detection of the volatile pheromone components from odorized air is highly challenging. Here, we introduce a protocol for the detection of airborne pheromones from female moths, which are key models for chemosensory studies. We describe a step-by-step guide from pheromone collection to quantitative estimation of pheromone components. We also detail procedures for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. This protocol has potential applications beyond chemosensory research, particularly in environmental chemistry.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ghosh et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Keywords

• Neuroscience
• Behavior
• Mass Spectrometry
• Environmental sciences