Mirid bugs are a group of important insect pests that cause large annual losses in agricultural production. Many studies have focused on the isolation and identification of sex pheromones in mirid bugs, and the components and biological activity of the sex pheromones have also been studied as a way to control these pests. However, few studies have focused on the mechanisms of pheromone perception. In this study, we identified the odorant receptor repertoire in three mirid bug species, Apolygus lucorum, Adelphocoris lineolatus, and Adelphocoris suturalis using antennal transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. The candidate pheromone receptor (PR) genes were then identified by comparative transcriptomic and expression pattern analysis. Importantly, in vitro functional studies have shown that the candidate PRs have robust responses to the main mirid bug sex pheromone components (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate (E2HB) and hexyl butyrate (HB). Our study uncovered the mechanism of pheromone peripheral coding in these three species and elucidated the mechanism by which mirid bugs can specifically recognize a mate. Moreover, the results of our study will provide a theoretical basis for screening effective sex attractants or mating disturbance agents at the molecular and neural levels for enhanced control of these destructive pests.

Mirid bugs 是一组重要的害虫，每年都会对农业生产造成巨大损失。许多研究都集中在昆虫中性信息素的分离和鉴定上，性信息素的成分和生物活性也被研究作为控制这些害虫的一种方法。然而，很少有研究关注信息素感知的机制。在这项研究中，我们使用触角转录组测序和生物信息学分析确定了三种 mirid bug 物种Apolygus lucorum、Adelphocoris lineolatus和Adelphocoris suturalis 中的气味受体库。然后通过比较鉴定候选信息素受体 (PR) 基因转录组学和表达模式分析。重要的是，体外功能研究表明，候选 PR 对主要的昆虫性信息素成分 (E)-2-丁酸己烯酯 (E2HB) 和丁酸己酯 (HB) 具有强烈的反应。我们的研究揭示了这三个物种中信息素外围编码的机制，并阐明了昆虫可以特异性识别配偶的机制。此外，我们的研究结果将为在分子和神经水平上筛选有效的性引诱剂或交配干扰剂提供理论基础，以加强对这些破坏性害虫的控制。