| Autor: |
Isitt RL; Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada., Bleiker KP; Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, Canada., Pureswaran DS; Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, rue de PEPS, Quebec City, Canada., Hillier NK; Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada., Huber DPW; Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada. |
| Abstrakt: |
Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby, Coleoptera: Curculionidae) uses pheromone blends containing aggregative components (frontalin, verbenene, 1-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol [MCOL], and seudenol) and an anti-aggregative component (3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one [MCH]) to coordinate attacks against host trees, but little is known about the influence of external stimuli on pheromone production. We conducted feeding experiments followed by pheromone extractions to determine if feeding duration and mate presence affected pheromone production in D. rufipennis. Unfed beetles of both sexes produced very little of any pheromone component. Females fed for 48 h produced significantly more MCH and MCOL compared to those which fed for 24 h. Males fed for 48 h produced significantly less seudenol than those which fed for 24 h. Male presence did not significantly affect female pheromone production. We propose that the pheromone blend produced by beetles transitions from aggregative to anti-aggregative shortly after colonizing a host, regardless of mate presence. |
