A Plagionotus arcuatus ssp. arcuatus darázscincér (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) fajon belüli kommunikációjának a vizsgálata két, földrajzilag távoli, európai populáción

A bársonyos darázscincér, Plagionotus arcuatus ssp. arcuatus (L.) Európa nagyobb részén gyako- rinak számító szaproxilofág cincér faj, melyet a nyári hónapokban a szabadban tárolt, frissen kivágott tölgyfa alkalmi kártevőjeként tartunk számon. Annak érdekében, hogy azonosítsuk azokat a csalo- gató illatanyagokat, amelyek felhasználhatók a faj rajzáskövetésére, illatanyag gyűjtést végeztünk az imágókból, majd szabadföldi viselkedésvizsgálatokat végeztünk az azonosított illatanyagokkal, melyek a faj lehetséges aggregációs feromon komponensei. Három vegyület, az (R)-3-hidroxihexán- 2-on, az (R)-3-hidroxioktán-2-on, és az (R)-3-hidroxidekán-2-on viszonylag nagy mennyiségben volt jelen a hím kivonatokban Magyarországon és Svédországban egyaránt, függetlenül a filter típusától (aktív szén vagy PorapakTM Q, ezeket a bogarak által kibocsátott illatanyagok megkötésére hasz- náljuk), illetve függetlenül a kivonat készítésére használt oldószer típusától (hexán, dietil éter, vagy diklórmetán). A hidroxi-keton és annak rokon vegyületeinek egyike sem volt kimutatható a nőstények- ből származó kivonatokban. A szabadföldi vizsgálatokban mindkét országban a C6 és a C10 illatanya- gok keveréke, illetve a háromkomponensű keverék csalogatta a legtöbb bogarat. A kontroll csapdák, más kombinációk illetve az önmagukban alkalmazott illatanyagok csalogató hatása nem volt jelen- tős. A hímek és nőstények hasonlóan reagáltak a kezelésekre. Eredményeink azt mutatják, hogy a (R)-3-hidroxihexán-2-on és a (R)-3-hidroxidekán-2-on a bársonyos darázscincér hímek által termelt aggregációs feromon komponensei, míg a (R)-3-hidroxioktán-2-on szerepe nem tisztázott. Az azo- nosított feromonkomponensek a bársonyos darázscincér populáció megfigyelésére alkalmazhatóak

Efforts to develop female-targeted attractants for click beetles – a summary

An overview is given on recent research efforts to develop attractant combinations capable of attracting female click beetles

Development of a female attractant for the click beetle pest Agriotes brevis

BACKGROUNDTraps suitable for catching female Agriotes click beetles may provide better reconnaissance than pheromone-baited traps which catch only males, thereby contributing to more efficient crop protection. The basis for this study came from (i) observations of female Agriotes brevis (Candeze) aggregating beneath foliage of Medicago sativa (L.) and Lolium italicum (A.Br.) placed on plastic sheets on bare soil, and (ii) field tests demonstrating attraction of females to traps baited with foliage from these plants. The aim was to identify and field test volatile compounds from M. sativa and L. italicum leaves. RESULTSA number of electrophysiologically active chemicals were identified from headspace extracts of M. sativa and L.italicum. Three different synthetic blends of the identified compounds, comprising four, seven and nine components, were field tested. The four- and nine-component blends caught more female A. brevis than unbaited traps, with the proportion of females not differing between blends. CONCLUSIONThe plant-derived blends were shown to catch female A. brevis under field conditions when applied in traps. Of these, the four-component blend, given its relatively simple composition [(Z)-3-hexenyl acetate:methyl benzoate:(Z)-3-hexen-1-ol:methyl salicylate 300:5:30:30 mg bait(-1)], may be a suitable standard' blend for bait optimisation. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industr

Differences in Colour Preference Among Pollen Beetle Species (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Pollen beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) are major pests of oilseed rape and other crucifers. Efficient and timely management of these pests can greatly be improved by effective monitoring of their spatial and temporal distribution. In field trials in Hungary, we have discovered striking differences in colour responsiveness among pollen beetle species: Brassicogethes aeneus F. 1775 (earlier Meligethes aeneus) and B. viridescens F. 1775 responded most strongly to fluorescent yellow traps, whereas B. coracinus Sturm 1845, Fabogethes nigrescens Sturm 1845 and Meligethes atratus Olivier 1790 were most attracted to blue or white traps. Differences in the spring flight period were also recorded, with B. aeneus and B. viridescens flying ca. 1 month earlier than the other three species. Further tests established that funnel traps having both fluorescent yellow and blue colour cues are the most efficient in attracting a wide range of pollen beetle species. On the other hand, fluorescent yellow traps can be used to detect and monitor B. aeneus specifically

Sex Pheromone of the Alfalfa Plant Bug, Adelphocoris lineolatus: Pheromone Composition and Antagonistic Effect of 1-Hexanol (Hemiptera: Miridae)

The sex pheromone composition of alfalfa plant bugs, Adelphocoris lineolatus (Goeze), from Central Europe was investigated to test the hypothesis that insect species across a wide geographical area can vary in pheromone composition. Potential interactions between the pheromone and a known attractant, (E)-cinnamaldehyde, were also assessed. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography (GC-EAG) using male antennae and volatile extracts collected from females, previously shown to attract males in field experiments, revealed the presence of three physiologically active compounds. These were identified by coupled GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and peak enhancement as hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal. A ternary blend of these compounds in a 5.4:9.0:1.0 ratio attracted male A. lineolatus in field trials in Hungary. Omission of either (E)-2-hexenyl-butyrate or (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal from the ternary blend or substitution of (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal by (E)-2-hexenal resulted in loss of activity. These results indicate that this Central European population is similar in pheromone composition to that previously reported for an East Asian population. Interestingly, another EAG-active compound, 1-hexanol, was also present in female extract. When 1-hexanol was tested in combination with the ternary pheromone blend, male catches were reduced. This compound showed a dose-response effect with small doses showing a strong behavioral effect, suggesting that 1-hexanol may act as a sex pheromone antagonist in A. lineolatus. Furthermore, when (E)-cinnamaldehyde was field tested in combination with the sex pheromone, there was no increase in male catch, but the combination attracted both males and females. Prospects for practical application are discussed