Identification and field verification of an aggregation pheromone from the white-spotted flower chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis Lewis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

The white-spotted flower chafer (WSFC), Protaetia brevitarsis Lewis, is native to East Asia. Although their larvae are considered a potential resource insect for degrading plant residues, producing protein fodder, and processing to traditional medicine, adult WSFCs inflict damage to dozens of fruit and economic crops. The control of the WSFC still relies heavily on pesticides and the inefficient manual extraction of adults. Here, we report the identification and evaluation of the aggregation pheromone of WSFCs. From the headspace volatiles emitted from WSFC adults, anisole, 4-methylanisole, 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone were identified as WSFC-specific components. However, only anisole and 4-methylanisole elicited positive dose–response relationship in electroantennography tests, and only 4-methylanisole significantly attracted WSFCs of both sexes in olfactometer bioassays and field experiments. These results concluded that 4-methylanisole is the aggregation pheromone of WSFCs. Furthermore, we developed polyethylene vials as long-term dispensers of 4-methylanisole to attract and kill WSFCs. The polyethylene vial lures could effectively attracted WSFCs for more than four weeks. Pheromone-based lures can be developed as an environmentally friendly protocol for monitoring and controlling WSFC adults.

A Simple Method for the Differential Measurement of 125I and 3H by Liquid-Scintillation Spectrometry

1. A method is described for the differential radioactivity counting of 125I and 3H in a liquid-scintillation spectrometer without a separate gamma counter. 2. The sample was contained in a polyethylene miniature vial placed centrally in a standard 20 ml glass scintillation vial containing a tin-loaded scintillant. 3. A direct measure of the 125I radioactivity at an efficiency of 30% was then obtained by radioactivity counting in the pre-set 3H window of a scintillation spectrometer. No counts for 3H radioactivity were registered at this stage because of the barrier to the passage of the low-energy β-particles provided by the wall of the polyethylene vial. 4. After mixing the sample and scintillant both 125I and 3H were detected at efficiencies of 73 % and 29% respectively. Subtraction of the 125I contribution from the combined radioactivity count rate then gave the net 3H count.

Field evaluation of gossyplure, the synthetic sex pheromone of Pectinophora gossypiella (saund.) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in Malawi

The synthetic sex attractant of the pink bollworm of cotton, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saund.) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), is a mixture of (Z, Z) and (Z, E)-7, 11-hexadecadien-l-ol acetate, referred to as gossyplure (Hummel et al., 1973). Field trials in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi, have shown that of various mixtures tested, 55–60% of the (Z,Z) isomer in a mixture of the two acetates gives maximum field attraction. The catches of both pink bollworm males and males of the red bollworm of cotton, Diparopsis castanea Hmps., in pheromone traps are not affected by the release of mixtures of the pheromones of both species together. Dual-purpose sex pheromone traps may therefore be used to monitor both pest species at the same time. A simple omnidirectional flat disc trap is as efficient in trapping pink bollworm males as more complex designs. Release of gossyplure from a sealed 2·5 ml polyethylene vial or from a Zoecon beem-polyethylene vial is more efficient than from narrow-bore teflon capillary. Presence of the antioxidant 2,6-di-tert-butyl-P-cresol at 8·4% w/w gossyplure does not increase the attractive life of the pheromone in the field. Considerable numbers of the Angoumois grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Ol.) (Tineidae), together with a new species of gelechiid, were occasionally caught by gossyplure lures in cotton fields. Catches of pink bollworm are not influenced by moonlight or trap colour but are significantly influenced by trap area. Maximum catches of males occur between midnight and 04.00 h in June and between 01.00 and 05.00 h in August.