Abstract
The response of western pine beetle,Dendroctonus brevicomis Le Conte, to different release rates of the aggregation semiochemicals (attractants)exo-brevicomin, frontalin, and myrcene and the inhibitors verbenone and ipsdienol was investigated. Release rates of verbenone ranging from 0.18 mg/ 24 hr to 1.2 mg/24 hr did not result in significant reductions in mean trap catch ofD. brevicomis. In contrast, very low release rates of ipsdienol (0.02–0.4 mg/24 hr) significantly reduced trap catch compared to controls. The combination of verbenone and ipsdienol, released at rates above 0.09 and 0.02 mg/24 hr, respectively, resulted in significantly lower trap catches ofD. brevicomis in attractant-baited traps. Results of an experiment testing a factorial combination of different release rates of verbenone and attractants suggest that response is not ratio-specific. The response curve ofD. brevicomis to the levels of verbenone was similar across all levels of attractants, while the response to equivalent ratios of attractants to verbenone was not similar, suggesting that the behavior of the beetles is primarily influenced by the absolute release rate of verbenone.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bedard, W.D., Tilden, P.E., Wood, D.L., Silverstein, R.M., Brownlee, R.G., andRodin, J.O. 1969. Western pine beetle: Field response to its sex pheromone and a synergistic host terpene, myrcene.Science 164:1284–1285.
Bedard, W.D., Tilden, P.E., Lindahl, Jr., K.Q., Wood, D.L., andRauch, P.A. 1980. Effects of verbenone and trans-verbenol on the response ofDendroctonus brevicomis to natural and synthetic attractant in the field.J. Chem. Ecol. 6:997–1013.
Birch, M.C, Light, D.M., Wood, D.L., Browne, L.E., Silverstein, R.M., Bergot, B.J., Ohloff, G., West, J.R., andYoung, J.C. 1980. Pheromonal attraction and allomonal interruption ofIps pini in California by the two enantiomers of ipsdienol.J. Chem. Ecol. 6:703–717.
Borden, J.H., Hunt, D.W.A., Miller, D.R., andSlessor, K.N. 1986. Orientation in forest Coleoptera: An uncertain outcome of responses by individual beetles to variable stimuli, pp. 97–109,in T.L. Payne, M.C. Birch, and C.E.J. Kennedy (eds.). Mechanisms in Insect Olfaction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Borden, J.H., Ryker, L.C., Chong, L.J., Pierce, H.D., Johnston, B.D., andOehlschlager, A.C. 1987. Response of the mountain pine beetle,Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), to five semiochemicals in British Columbia lodgepole pine forests.Can. J. For. Res. 17:118–128.
Brand, J.M., Bracke, J.W., Britton, L.N., Markovetz, A.J., andBarras, S.J. 1976. Bark beetle pheromones: Production of verbenone by a mycangial fungus ofDendroctonus frontalis.J. Chem. Ecol. 2:195–199.
Byers, J.A. 1982. Male-specific conversion of the host-plant compound, myrcene, to the pheromone, (+)-ipsdienol, in the bark beetleDendroctonus brevicomis.J. Chem. Ecol. 8:363–371.
Byers, J.A. 1983. Bark beetle conversion of a plant compound to a sex-specific inhibitor of pheromone attraction.Science 220:624–626.
Byers, J.A., andWood, D.L. 1980. Interspecific inhibition of response of the bark beetlesDendroctonus brevicomis andIps paraconfusus to their pheromones in the field.J. Chem. Ecol. 6:149–164.
Byers, J.A., Wood, D.L., Craig, J., andHendry, L.B. 1984. Attractive and inhibitory pheromones produced in the bark beetleDendroctonus brevicomis: Regulation of inter- and intraspecific competition.J. Chem. Ecol. 10:861–877.
Hunt, D.W.A., andBorden, J.H. 1990. Conversion of verbenols to verbenone by yeasts isolated fromDendroctonus ponderosae.J. Chem. Ecol. 16:1385–1397.
Hunt, D.W.A., Borden, J.H., Lindgren, B.S., andGries, G. 1989. The role of autoxidation of α-pinene in the production of pheromones ofDendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Scolytidae).Can. J. For. Res. 19:1275–1282.
Kinzer, G.W., Fentiman, A.F., Jr., Page, T.E., Jr., Foltz, R.L., Vité, J.P., andPitman, G.B. 1969. Bark beetle attractants: Identification, synthesis, and field bioassay of a new compound isolated fromDendroctonus.Nature 221:477–478.
Light, D.M. 1983. Sensitivity of antennae of male and femaleIps paraconfusus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to its pheromone and other behavior-modifying chemicals.J. Chem. Ecol. 9:585–606.
Light, D.M., andBirch, M.C. 1979. Inhibition of the attractive pheromone response inIps paraconfusus by (R)-(−)-ipsdienol.Naturwissenschaften 66:159–160.
Light, D.M., andBirch, M.C. 1982. Bark beetle enantiomeric chemoreception: Greater sensitivity to allomone than pheromone.Naturwissenschaften 69:243–245.
Light, D.M., Birch, M.C., andPainf, T.D. 1983. Laboratory study of intraspecific and interspecific competition within and between two sympatric bark beetle species,Ips pini andI. paraconfusus.Z. Angew Entomol. 96:233–241.
Miller, J.M., andKeen, F.P. 1960. Biology and control of the western pine beetle. U.S. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 800.
Paine, T.D., andHanlon, C.C. 1991. Response ofDendroctonus brevicomis andIps paraconfusus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to combinations of synthetic pheromone attractants and inhibitors verbenone and ipsdienol.J. Chem. Ecol. 17:2163–2176.
Raffa, K.F., andBerryman, A.A. 1983. The role of host plant resistance in the colonization behavior and ecology of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae).Ecol. Monogr. 53:27–49.
Rankin, L.J., andBorden, J.H. 1991. Competitive interactions between the mountain pine beetle and the pine engraver in lodgepole pine.Can. J. For. Res. 21:1029–1036.
Silverstein, R.M., Rodin, J.O., andWood, D.L. 1966. Sex attractants in frass produced by maleIps confusus in ponderosa pine.Science 154:509–510.
Silverstein, R.M., Brownlee, R.G., Bellas, T.E., Wood, D.L., andBrowne, L.E. 1968. Brevicomin: Principal sex attractant in the frass of female western pine beetle.Science 159:889–891.
Steel, R.G.D., andTorrie, J.H. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Stewart, T.E., Plummer, E.L., McCandless, L.L., West, J.R., andSilverstein, R.M. 1977. Determination of enantiomer composition of several bicyclic ketal insect pheromone components.J. Chem. Ecol. 3:27–43.
Tilden, P.E., andBedard, W.D. 1988. Effect of verbenone on response ofDendroctonus brevicomis toexo-brevicomin, frontalin, and myrcene.J. Chem. Ecol. 14:113–122.
Vanderwel, D., andOehlschlager, A.C. 1987. Biosynthesis of pheromones and endocrine regulation of pheromone production in Coleoptera, pp. 175–215,in G.D. Prestwich and G.J. Blomquist (eds.). Pheromone Biochemistry. Academic Press, New York.
Vité, J.P., andPitman, G.B. 1969. Aggregation behavior ofDendroctonus brevicomis in response to synthetic pheromones.J. Insect Physiol. 15:1617–1622.
Whitehead, A.T. 1986. Electroantennogram responses by mountain pine beetles,Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, exposed to selected semiochemicals.J. Chem. Ecol. 12:1603–1621.
Wood, D.L. 1982. The role of pheromones, kairomones, and allomones in the host selection and colonization behavior of bark beetles.Annu. Rev. Entomol. 27:411–416.
Wood, D.L., Browne, L.E., Ewing, B., Lindahl, K., Bedard, W.D., Tilden, P.E., Mori, K., Pitman, G.B., andHughes, P.R. 1976. Western pine beetle: Specificity among enantiomers of male and female components of an attractive pheromone.Science 192:896–898.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bertram, S.L., Paine, T.D. Response ofDendroctonus brevicomis Le Conte (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to different release rates and ratios of aggregation semiochemicals and the inhibitors verbenone and ipsdienol. J Chem Ecol 20, 2931–2941 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02098399
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02098399