Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Orientation of Sugarcane Rootstalk Borer Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, to Weevil, Frass, and Food Odors

  • Published:
Journal of Chemical Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Adults of the sugarcane rootstalk borer weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, form aggregations on citrus trees, where they feed on new foliage. The relative roles of male and female weevils, frass, food, and combinations of these odor sources in aggregation formation were studied using a y-tube olfactometer. Female and male D. abbreviatus were attracted by food, males, females, and female or male frass. Females were most often attracted by damaged food (broken green beans), whereas males were similarly attracted to damaged food and either female frass, male frass, or heterosexual pairs. No enhancement of attraction by either sex was found when males and male frass were combined with damaged food.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • ALCOCK, J., and GWYNNE, D. T. 1991. Evolution of insect mating systems: the impact of individual selectionist thinking, in W. J. Bailey and J. Ridsdill-Smith (eds.). pp. 10–41, Reproductive Behaviour of Insects. Chapman and Hall, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • BAKER, T. C. 1983. Variations in male Oriental fruit moth courtship patterns due to male competition. Experientia 39:112–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • BEAVERS, J. B., MCGOVERN, T. P., and ADLER, V. E. 1982. Diaprepes abbreviatus: Laboratory and field behavioral and attractancy studies. Environ. Entomol. 11:436–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • BEN-YAKIR D., BAZAR, A., and CHEN, M. 1995. Attraction of Maladera matrida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to eugenol and other lures. J. Econ. Entomol. 88:415–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • BUDENBERG, W. J., NDIEGE, I. O., KARAGO, F. W., and HANSSON, B. S. 1993. Behavioral and electrophysiological responses of the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus, to host plant volatiles, J. Chem. Ecol. 19:267–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • COUDRIET, D. L., and KISHABA, A. N. 1988. Bioassay procedure for an attractant of the pepper weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 81:1499–1502.

    Google Scholar 

  • CRUZ, C., and SEGRARRA, A. 1992. Potential for biological control of crop pests in the Caribbean. Fla. Entomol. 75:400–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • DICKENS, J. C. 1989. Green leaf volatiles enhance aggregation pheromone of boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 52:191–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • FINCH, S. 1980. Chemical attraction of plant-feeding insect to plants. Appl. Biol. 5:67–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • FLEMING, W. E. 1969. Attractants for the Japanese beetle. US Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1399.

  • GREENFIELD, M. D. 1980. Moth sex pheromones: An evolutionary perspective. Fla. Entomol. 64:4–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • HARARI, A. R., BEN-YAKIR, D., and ROSEN, D. 1994. Mechanism of aggregation behavior in Maladera matrida Argaman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). J. Chem. Ecol. 20:361–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • HARDEE, D. D., MITCHELL, E. G., and HUDDLESTON, E. B. 1966. Effects of age, nutrition, sex, and time of day on response of boll weevils to an attractant from cotton. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 54:1024–1025.

    Google Scholar 

  • HEATH R. R., LANDOLT P. J., LEPPLA, N. C., and DUEBEN, B. D. 1988. Identification of male-produced pheromone of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attractive to conspecific males. J. Chem. Ecol. 14:1121–1130.

    Google Scholar 

  • HEDIN, P. A., PAYNE, J. A., CARPENTER, T. L., and NEEL, W. 1979. Sex pheromones of the male and female pecan weevil, Curculio caryae: Behavioral and chemical studies. Environ. Entomol. 8:521–523.

    Google Scholar 

  • JONES, I. F., and SCHROEDER, W. J. 1984. Capture of Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in frass extract-baited traps in citrus. J. Econ. Entomol. 77:334–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • LENCZEWSKI, B., and LANDOLT, P. J. 1991. Temporal partitioning of dual sexual attraction strategies in Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 84:124–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • MAYER M. S., and MCLAUGHLIN, J. R. 1990. Insect Pheromones and Sex Attractants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 1096 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • PESCHKE, K. 1987. Male aggression, female mimicry and female choice in the rove beetle, Aleochara curtula (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Ethology 75:265–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • PROKOPY, R. I., COOLEY, S. S., and PHELAN, P. L. 1995. Bioassay approaches to assessing behavioral responses of plum curculio adults (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to host fruit odor. J. Chem. Ecol. 21:1073–1084.

    Google Scholar 

  • REED, D. K., LEE, M. H., KIM, S. H., and KLEIN, M. G. 1991. Attraction of scarab beetle populations (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to Japanese beetle lures in the Republic of Korea. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 36:163–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • SCHROEDER, W. J. 1981. Attraction, mating, and oviposition behavior in field population of Diaprepes abbreviatus on citrus. Environ. Entomol. 10:898–900.

    Google Scholar 

  • SCHROEDER, W. J., and BEAVERS, J. B. 1977. Citrus root weevils in Florida: Identification, biology, and control. Proc. Int. Soc. Citricult. 2:498–500.

    Google Scholar 

  • SCHROEDER, W. J., and BEAVERS, J. B. 1985. Semiochemicals and Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) behavior: Implication for survey. Fla. Entomol. 68:399–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • SIRJUSINGH C., KERMARREC, A., MAULEON, H., LAVIS, C., and ETIENNE, J. 1992. Biological control of weevils and white grubs on bananas and sugarcane in the Caribbean. Fla. Entomol. 75:548–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • SOKAL, R. R., and ROHLF, F. J. 1969. Biometry. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 776 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • THORNHILL, R., and ALCOCK, J. 1983. The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 547 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • TRIVERS, R. 1985. Deceit and self deception, pp. 395–420, in Social Evolution. The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing, Menlo Park, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • TUMLINSON J. H., HARDEE, D. D., GUELDNER, R. C., THOMPSON, A. C., HEDIN, P. A., and MINYARD, J. P. 1969. Sex pheromones produced by male boll weevils: Isolation, identification, and synthesis. Science 166:1010–1012.

    Google Scholar 

  • VISSER, J. H. 1986. Host odour perception in phytophagous insects. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 31:121–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • WENDELKEN, P. W., and BARTH R. H., JR. 1985. On the significance of pseudofemale behavior in the neotropical cockroach genera Blaberus, Archimandria, and Byrostria. Psyche 92:493–504.

    Google Scholar 

  • WILLIS, M. A., and BIRCH, M. C. 1982. Lek formation and female calling in a population of the arctiid moth Estigmene acrea. Science 218:168–170.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Ali R. Harari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter J. Landolt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harari, A.R., Landolt, P.J. Orientation of Sugarcane Rootstalk Borer Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, to Weevil, Frass, and Food Odors. J Chem Ecol 23, 857–868 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006416.96240.aa

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006416.96240.aa

Search

Navigation