Field response of Colorado potato beetle to enantiomeric blends of CPB I aggregation pheromone

Thomas P. Kuhar, Erin M. Hitchner, Roger R. Youngman, Kenji Mori, Joseph C. Dickens

Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA.
Insect Pheromone and Traps Division, Fuji Flavor Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Plant Sciences Institute, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/as.2012.37108                

Abstract

Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is attracted to (S)-3,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-oct-6-ene-1,3-diol [(S)-CPB I], a male-produced aggregation pheromone. Pitfall trap studies were conducted to assess the relative attraction of L. decemlineata adults to synthetic mixtures of the (S)- and (R)-enantiomers of the pheromone. Of the following blends that were tested: 97%(S):3%(R), 87%(S):13%(R), 73%(S):27%(R), and 50%(S):50%(R) (racemic blend), only the blend containing 97% of the (S)-enantionmer was attractive in one of the experiments. Our results demonstrate that the behavioral response of the beetle to pheromone-baited pitfall traps is unsubstantial in general, and that enantiomeric blends containing 13% or more of the opposite (R) enantiomer disrupt response to the pheromone. Any future research as well as integrated pest management strategies that incorporate CPB I as an aggregation pheromone should utilize blends containing more than 87% optical purity of the (S)-enantiomer of the pheromone.

Keywords

Leptinotarsa decemlineata; Chemical Ecology; Lures; Traps; Behavior

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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