TITLE:
Field response of Colorado potato beetle to enantiomeric blends of CPB I aggregation pheromone
AUTHORS:
Thomas P. Kuhar, Erin M. Hitchner, Roger R. Youngman, Kenji Mori, Joseph C. Dickens
KEYWORDS:
Leptinotarsa decemlineata; Chemical Ecology; Lures; Traps; Behavior
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.3 No.7,
November
15,
2012
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.