Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widely produced plasticizer that is considered to act as an endocrine-disrupting chemical in vertebrates and invertebrates. Indeed, many studies have shown that DEHP alters hormonal levels, reproduction and behavior in vertebrates. Few studies have focused on the effects of DEHP on insects, although DEHP is found almost everywhere in their natural habitats, particularly in soils and plants. Here, we investigated the effects of DEHP on the sexual behavior and physiology of a pest insect, the noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis. In this nocturnal species, olfaction is crucial for sexual behavior, and ecdysteroids at the antennal level have been shown to modulate sex pheromone detection by males. In the present study, larvae were fed food containing different DEHP concentrations, and DEHP concentrations were then measured in the adults (males and females). Hemolymphatic ecdysteroid concentrations, the antennal expression of genes involved in the ecdysteroid pathway (nuclear receptors EcR, USP, E75, and E78 and calmodulin) and sexual behavior were then investigated in adult males. The success and latency of mating as well as the hatching success were also studied in pairs consisting of one DEHP male and one uncontaminated female or one DEHP female and one uncontaminated male. We also studied the offspring produced from pairs involving contaminated females to test the transgenerational effect of DEHP. Our results showed the general downregulation of nuclear receptors and calmodulin gene expression associated with the higher concentrations of DEHP, suggesting peripheral olfactory disruption. We found some effects on male behavior but without an alteration of the mating rate. Effects on offspring mortality and developmental rates in the N + 1 generation were also found at the higher doses of DEHP. Taken together, the results of the study show for the first time that larval exposure to DEHP can induce delayed endocrine-disruptive effects in the adults of a terrestrial insect as well as effects on the next generation. To date, our study is also the first description of an impact of endocrine disrupter on olfaction in insects.

邻苯二甲酸双（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP）是一种广泛生产的增塑剂，被认为可在脊椎动物和无脊椎动物中充当破坏内分泌的化学物质。确实，许多研究表明DEHP会改变脊椎动物的激素水平，繁殖和行为。尽管几乎在自然栖息地的任何地方，尤其是在土壤和植物中都发现了DEHP，但很少有研究关注DEHP对昆虫的影响。在这里，我们研究了DEHP对害虫，夜蛾，夜蛾Spodoptera littoralis的性行为和生理的影响。。在这个夜行性物种中，嗅觉对于性行为至关重要，并且在触角水平上蜕皮类固醇已被证明可调节男性对性信息素的检测。在本研究中，给幼虫喂食含有不同DEHP浓度的食物，然后在成年（雄性和雌性）中测量DEHP浓度。Hemolymphatic蜕皮甾类的浓度，参与蜕皮甾类途径（核受体基因的表达触角的EcR，USP，E75和E78和钙调蛋白然后调查了成年男性的性行为。还成功配对了成对和潜伏期以及孵化成功率，其中包括一对DEHP雄性和一名未受污染的雌性或一对DEHP雌性和一名未受污染的雄性。我们还研究了由受污染的雌性成对配对产生的后代，以测试DEHP的转基因作用。我们的结果显示，与较高浓度的DEHP相关的核受体和钙调蛋白基因表达普遍下调，提示外周嗅觉破坏。我们发现了一些对男性行为的影响，但没有改变交配率。在较高剂量的DEHP中也发现了对N + 1代后代死亡率和发育率的影响。在一起 研究结果首次显示，幼虫暴露于DEHP可以诱导陆生昆虫成虫延迟内分泌干扰作用，以及对下一代的影响。迄今为止，我们的研究还是对内分泌干扰物对昆虫嗅觉的影响的首次描述。