Abstract
Adults of the hide beetle,Dermestes maculatus (De Geer), were shown to have a female-produced sex pheromone which excited males. Male response was positively correlated with increasing age, but females produced a higher level of pheromone at 6–8 days of age than at younger or older ages. Extractable female pheromone and male response varied over the photophase with peak values that occurred during the latter hours. Quantitative bioassay indicated that the 50% male response level (RD50) would be elicited by a pheromone exposure of 0.01 female equivalents (FE). Females extracted 24 hr after mating had a lower level of extractable pheromone than did virgin females of the same age.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barak, A.V., andBurkholder, W.E. 1976. Trapping studies with dermestid sex pheromones.Environ. Entomol. 5(1):111–114.
Barak, A.V. andBurkholder, W.E. 1977. Behavior and pheromone studies withAttagenus elongatulus Casey (Coleoptera: Dermestidae).J. Chem. Ecol. 3(2):219–237.
Barak, A.V., andBurkholder, W.E. 1978. Interspecific response to sex pheromones, and calling behavior of severalAttagenus species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae).J. Chem. Ecol. 4(3):451–461.
Bar-Ilan (Finger), A., Stanic, V., andShulov, A. 1965. Attracting substance (pheromone) produced by virgin females ofTrogoderma granarium [(Everts) (Col.: Dermestidae)].Riv. Parasitol. 26:27–29.
Bartell, R.J., andShorey, H.H. 1969. Pheromone concentrations required to elicit successive steps in the mating sequence of males of the light brown apple moth,Epiphyas postvittana.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 62(5): 1206–1207.
Burkholder, W.E. 1970. Pheromone research with stored-product Coleoptera, pp. 1–20,in D. Wood, R. Silverstein and M. Nakajima (eds.). Control of Insect Behavior by Natural Products. Academic Press, New York. 345 pp.
Burkholder, W.E., andDicke, R.J. 1966. Evidence of sex pheromones in females of several species of Dermestidae.J. Econ. Entomol. 59(3):540–573.
Burkholder, W.E., Ma, M., Kuwahara, Y., andMatsumura, F. 1974. Sex pheromone of the furniture carpet beetle,Anthrenus flavipes (Coleoptera: Dermestidae).Can. Entomol. 106:835–839.
Cross, J.H., Byler, R.C., Silverstein, R.M., Greenblatt, R.E., Gorman, J.E., andBurkholder, W.E., 1977. Sex pheromone components and calling behavior of the female dermestid beetle,Trogoderma variabile Ballion (Coleoptera: Dermestidae).J. Chem. Ecol. 3(2):115–125.
Davey, P.M. 1965. Insect pests of stored products in the tropics and the commodities and conditions in which they occur.Trop. Stored Prod. Inf. 10:377–386.
Hammack, L., andBurkholder, W.E. 1976. Circadian rhythm of sex phermone-releasing behavior in females of the dermestid beetle,Trogoderma glabrum: Regulation by photo-period.J. Insect Physiol. 22(4):385–388.
Hammack, L., Burkholder, W.E., andMa, M. 1973. Sex pheromone localization in females of sixTrogoderma species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 66(3):545–550.
Hammack, L., Ma, M., andBurkholder, W.E. 1976. Sex pheromone-releasing behavior in females of the dermestid beetleTrogoderma glabrum.J. Insect Physiol. 22(4):555–561.
Hinton, H.E. 1945. A monograph of the beetles associated with stored products. I.Br. Mus. Nat. Hist. 261–268, 443 pp.
Levinson, H.Z., andBar-Ilan, A.R. 1970. Olfactory and tactile behavior of the Khapra beetle,Trogoderma granarium, with special reference to its assembling scent.J. Insect Physiol. 16:561–572.
Ma, M.C., andBurkholder, W.E. 1978. Sex pheromone releasing behavior ofAnthrenus flavipes (Furniture carpet beetles) Females (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 71(1):129–133.
Mushi, A.M. andChiang, H.C. 1974. Laboratory observations on the effect of common salt onDermestes maculatus De Geer (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) infesting dried freshwater fish,Roccus chrysops.J. Stored Prod. Res. 10:57–60.
Silverstein, R.M., Rodin, J.O., Burkholder, W.E., andGorman, J.E. 1967. Sex attractant of the black carpet beetle,Science 157(3784):85–87.
Vick, K.W., Drummond, P.C., andCoffelt, J.A. 1973.Trogoderma inclusum andT. glabrum: Effects of time of day on production of female pheromone, male responsiveness and mating.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 66(5):1001–1004.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abdel-Kader, M.M., Barak, A.V. Evidence for a sex pheromone in the hide beetle,Dermestes maculatus (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). J Chem Ecol 5, 805–813 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00986565
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00986565