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Aggregation pheromone of coconut rhinoceros beetle,Oryctes rhinoceros (L.) (coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

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Abstract

Male coconut rhinoceros beetles,Oryctes rhinoceros (L.), produce three sex-specific compounds, ethyl 4-methyloctanoate, ethyl 4-methylheptanoate, and 4-methyloctanoic acid, the first of which is an aggregation pheromone. Synthesis of these compounds involving conjugate addition of organocuprates to ethyl acrylate is reported. In field trapping experiments, (4S)-ethyl 4-methyloctanoate and the racemic mixture were equally attractive and 10 times more effective in attracting beetles than ethyl chrysanthemumate, a previously recommended attractant. Ethyl 4-methylheptanoate was as attractive as ethyl chrysanthemumate and more attractive than 4-methyloctanoic acid, but further studies are required before it can be classed as an aggregation pheromone. Compared to ethyl 4-methyloctanoate alone, combinations of the three male-produced compounds did not increase attraction, whereas addition of freshly rotting oil palm fruit bunches to pheromone-baited traps significantly enhanced attraction. With increasing dose, captures ofO. rhinoceros increased, but doses of 6, 9, and 18 mg/day were competitive with 30 mg/day lures. Newly designed vane traps were more effective in capturing beetles than were barrier or pitfall traps. Results of this study indicate that there is potential for using ethyl 4-methyloctanoate in operational programs to controlO. rhinoceros in oil palm plantations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Pest Management Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Rebecca H. Hallett, Gerhard Gries, Regine Gries & John H. Borden

  2. Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Alice L. Perez, Harold D. Pierce Jr., Junming Yue & A. Cameron Oehlschlager

  3. Chem Tica International, Apdo 159-2150, San Jose, Costa Rica

    Lilliana M. Gonzalez

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  1. Rebecca H. Hallett
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  2. Alice L. Perez
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  3. Gerhard Gries
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Hallett, R.H., Perez, A.L., Gries, G. et al. Aggregation pheromone of coconut rhinoceros beetle,Oryctes rhinoceros (L.) (coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). J Chem Ecol 21, 1549–1570 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02035152

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