Volatile Emissions and Relative Attraction of the Fungal Symbionts of Tea Shot Hole Borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Euwallacea perbrevis is an ambrosia beetle that vectors fungal pathogens causing Fusarium dieback in Florida avocado trees. Current monitoring lures contain quercivorol, a fungus-produced volatile, but the exact attractant is unknown since lures contain a mixture of p-menth-2-en-1-ol isomers and both α- and β-phellandrene. This study used pure cultures of six symbiotic fungi isolated from E. perbrevis to document volatile emissions and determine the relative attraction of symbionts in binary choice assays. In a comparative test, headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy was used to identify and quantify emissions from 3-week-old cultures. In a temporal study, Super-Q collection followed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection was used to measure cis- and trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol emissions for three months. A total of 15 compounds were detected, with monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenoids predominating. Only trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol was common to all six symbionts. Peak levels of both isomers were observed at day 7, then gradually declined over a 90 day period. In choice tests, avocado sawdust disks inoculated with Fusarium sp. nov. were the most attractive. This symbiont produced only two volatiles, trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol and limonene. The combined results indicate that trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol is the primary female attractant emitted from symbiotic fungi, but limonene may be a secondary attractant of E. perbrevis.

Designing a species-selective lure based on microbial volatiles to target Lobesia botrana

Sustainable, low impact control methods, including mating disruption and microbial insecticides against L. botrana have been available for decades. Yet, successful implementation has been restricted to only a few grapevine districts in the world. A limiting factor is the lack of a female attractant to either monitor or control the damaging sex. Volatile attractants for both female and male insects can be used to assess when L. botrana populations exceed economic thresholds, and to decrease the use of synthetic pesticides within both conventional and pheromone programs. Rather than using host-plant volatiles, which are readily masked by background volatiles released by the main crop, we tested the attractiveness of volatiles that signify microbial breakdown and more likely stand out against the background odour. A two-component blend of 2-phenylethanol (2-PET) and acetic acid (AA) caught significant numbers of both sexes. Catches increased with AA and, to a minimal extent, 2-PET loads. However, a higher load of 2-PET also increased bycatches, especially of Lepidoptera and Neuroptera. Major (ethanol, ethyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol) or minor (esters, aldehydes, alcohols and a ketone) fermentation volatiles, did surprisingly not improve the attraction of L. botrana compared to the binary blend of 2-PET and AA alone, but strongly increased bycatches. The most attractive lure may thus not be the best choice in terms of specificity. We suggest that future research papers always disclose all bycatches to permit evaluation of lures in terms of sustainability.

Induction of Adult Female Sweetpotato Weevil (Cylas fromicarius elegantulus Summers) Volatile Attractant Triggered by Root Periderm Feeding

The sweetpotato weevil is the single most critical insect pest of the sweetpotato worldwide. While male weevils can be lured to traps using a synthetic female pheromone, crop losses are not adequately reduced since damage is caused by the larvae arrising from eggs laid by female weevils in the storage roots. Identification of a female attractant could greatly enhance the control of the insect. The leaves and storage roots are known to emit volatiles that attract the female and in the following tests, we demonstrate that feeding by female weevils stimulates the synthesis of a volatile attractant which attracts additional females to the root. Undamaged, artificially damaged, and female weevil feeding damaged periderm were tested in dual-choice and no-choice olfactometers. Volatiles from feeding damaged roots were significantly more attractive than undamaged and artificially damaged roots. To test whether the volatile attractant was of weevil or root origin, volatiles were collected in MeCl2 after removal of the weevils and fractionated on a megabore DB-1 capillary column using a GC fitted with a TC detector. Fractions were collected from the exit port and their activity index (AI) determined using dual choice and no choice olfactometry. The active fraction was ascertained and active components identified via GC-MS.

MATING BEHAVIOR IN RHAGOLETIS POMONELLA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE): V. VIRGIN FEMALE ATTRACTION TO MALE ODOR

Evidence from studies in large field cages indicated that odor from virgin male apple maggot flies, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), was attractive to virgin females. Whether the principal role of this odor in mating behavior is in fact that of a female attractant or rather that of an aphrodisiac is uncertain and awaits further study.