The attraction of virgin female hide beetles (Dermestes maculatus) to cadavers by a combination of decomposition odour and male sex pheromones

Table 2 Compilation of all conducted test conditions with statistical results in a Y-olfactometer bioassay

Sample	Control	n	P	Beetles tested
gland extract^a	Pentane	20	0.132	virgin femalesⁱ
synthetic
pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.588	virgin femalesⁱ
bloated^c
+ pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.412	virgin femalesⁱ
				newly emerged
post-bloated^d	Pentane	20	0.588	females^j
post-bloated^d	Pentane	20	0.412	virgin femalesⁱ
post-bloated^d
+ pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.058	virgin femalesⁱ
synthetic copy
of post-bloated^g
+ pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.058	virgin femalesⁱ
advanced decay^e
+ pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.412	virgin femalesⁱ
				newly emerged
dry remains^f	Pentane	20	0.588	females^j
dry remains^f	Pentane	20	0.588	virgin femalesⁱ
dry remains^f
+ gland extract^a	Pentane	20	< 0.001	virgin femalesⁱ
dry remains^f
+ pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.058	virgin femalesⁱ
benzyl butyrate^h
+ pheromones^b	Pentane	20	0.588	virgin femalesⁱ

^a pentane extract of a male gland = 1 gland equivalent.
^b synthetic (Z9)-unsaturated fatty acid isopropyl ester bouquet (1 gland equivalent).
^c headspace sample day 3 post-mortem.
^d headspace sample day 10 post-mortem.
^e headspace sample day 22 post-mortem.
^f headspace sample day 75 post-mortem.
^g 11 electrophysiologically active compounds in the post-bloating stage (day 9 post-mortem).
^h same concentration of the electrophysiologically active compound benzyl butyrate as that in the post-bloating stage (day 9 post-mortem).
ⁱ 2–3 weeks old.
^j 24 hrs old.
Choice experiments were analysed by the one-sided binomial probability test. Sample sizes (n) and significance levels (P-value) are given for each test.

ISSN: 1742-9994