Eur. J. Entomol. 123: 208-216, 2026 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2026.021

Electrophysiological response of Pentastiridius leporinus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) to plant volatiles and the ultrastructure of its antennal sensillaOriginal article

Eva THERHAAG ORCID...1, 2, Katja R. RICHERT-PÖGGELER ORCID...3, Verena MAIBERG3, Natascha HEIL4, Jürgen GROSS ORCID...1, 2
1 Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, 69221 Dossenheim, Germany; e-mails: eva.therhaag@julius-kuehn.de, juergen.gross@julius-kuehn.de
2 Hochschule Geisenheim University, Department of Crop Protection, Von-Lade-Str. 1, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany
3 Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany; e-mails: katja.richert-poeggeler@julius.kuehn.de, verena.maiberg@julius-kuehn.de
4 Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Biological Control, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, 69221 Dossenheim, Germany; e-mail: natascha.heil@julius-kuehn.de

The planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus transmits the phytoplasma 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' and the bacterium 'Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus' to various agricultural crops and vegetables, mainly in Germany and neighbouring countries. We collected headspace volatiles from the wild potato species Solanum bulbocastanum and tested antennal responses of P. leporinus using gas-chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). Two identified compounds, nonanal and decanal, were then tested on female antennae using electroantennography (EAG). Both compounds elicited significant dose-dependent EAG responses. Scanning electron microscopy revealed three sensillum types on the pedicel (chaetica, campaniform-like, plate-organs) of both female and male specimens. Transmission electron microscopy showed two coeloconic sensilla inside the Bourgoin organ in ultrathin antennal sections of a female. This is the first report of electrophysiologically active plant volatiles and antennal ultrastructure for this vector.

Keywords: GC-EAD, EAG, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Solanum bulbocastanum

Received: April 24, 2026; Revised: July 29, 2026; Accepted: July 29, 2026; Published online: August 11, 2026  Show citation

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THERHAAG, E., RICHERT-PÖGGELER, K.R., MAIBERG, V., HEIL, N., & GROSS, J. (2026). Electrophysiological response of Pentastiridius leporinus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) to plant volatiles and the ultrastructure of its antennal sensilla. EJE, 123, Article 208-216. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2026.021
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