2022/10/30 by Andreas Fischer, Regine Gries, Santosh Kumar Alamsetti +7 · 1 voice · 5 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Animal Behavior and Reproduction
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s42003-022-04072-7
openalex publication_date 2022/10/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Female web-building spiders disseminate pheromone from their webs that attracts mate-seeking males and deposit contact pheromone on their webs that induces courtship by males upon arrival. The source of contact and mate attractant pheromone components, and the potential ability of females to adjust their web's attractiveness, have remained elusive. Here, we report three new contact pheromone components produced by female false black widow spiders, Steatoda grossa: N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-butyroyl-L-serine, N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-isobutyroyl-L-serine and N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-hexanoyl-L-serine. The compounds originate from the posterior aggregate silk gland, induce courtship by males, and web pH-dependently hydrolyse at the carboxylic-ester bond, giving rise to three corresponding carboxylic acids that attract males. A carboxyl ester hydrolase (CEH) is present on webs and likely mediates the functional transition of contact sex pheromone components to the carboxylic acid mate attractant pheromone components. As CEH activity is pH-dependent, and female spiders can manipulate their silk's pH, they might also actively adjust their webs' attractiveness.