Components of the smell of beer as enticing factor for invasive slugs Arion lusitanicus non-mabille

Abstract

The study on the smell preference to for six beer brands in invasive slug Arion vulgaris was carried out under field and laboratory conditions. The effect of beer smell on CO2 emission was also estimated. Additionally, chromatographic determination (GC-MS) of volatile fraction of the tested beer brands was carried out. Chemical compounds responsible for the attractiveness of beer brands for the slugs were determined using statistical methods. The correlation analysis between the results of performed tests was made. It was shown that components of beer volatile fraction, such as: t-muurolol, aristolene epoxide, decanoic acid, 9Z,12Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid 2-acetyloxy-1-(acetyloxymethyl)ethyl ester, t-cadinol and oleic acid have a positive effect, and -elemene and bicyclo[4,1,0]heptane,3,7,7 trimethyl have a negative effect on the attractiveness of beer smell for slugs. Respirometry tests showed an increase in CO2 emission in slugs exposed to the smell of beer, however, it appeared impossible to indicate unambiguously which chemical compound could be responsible for the observed change in their physiological parameters. The increase in CO2 emission by slugs A. vulgaris exposed to the smell of beer did not correlate with the results of their smell DOI: 10.2428/ecea.2018.25(1)11 ECOL CHEM ENG A. 2018;25(2):133-151 1 The Chair of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland. 2 Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology an Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruñ, Poland. 3 Department of Soil Science Environmental Chemistry and Hydrology, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, University of Rzeszow, Æwikliñskiej 1, 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland. 4 The Chair of Chemistry and Food Toxicology, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, University of Rzeszow, Æwikliñskiej 1, 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland. 5 Department of Differential Equations and Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland. * Corresponding author: bpiechow@poczta.onet.pl preference in the field and laboratory tests. On the other hand, only the results of the laboratory tests performed on 6 individuals well correlated with the results obtained during the preference field tests, which indicate, that estimation the slugs’ preference may be limited to the laboratory tests.