Field Response of Male Pine Sawflies, Neodiprion sertifer (Diprionidae), to Sex Pheromone Analogs in Japan and Sweden

Abstract

The pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer (Geoffroy) uses the acetate or propionate of (2S,3S,7S)-3,7-dimethyl-2-pentadecanol (diprionol) as pheromone components, with the (2S,3R,7R)-isomer being antagonistic, synergistic, or inactive according to the population tested. In this study, we tested the attraction of males to the acetates of three analogs of diprionol, each missing one methyl group, viz. (2S,7S)-7-methyl-2-pentadecanol, (2S,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-1-tetradecanol, and (2S,3S)-3-methyl-2-pentadecanol. None of the analogs alone, or in combination with diprionol acetate, was attractive in Sweden, even at 100 times the amount of diprionol acetate attractive to N. sertifer. In Japan, the acetate of (2S,3S)-3-methyl-2-pentadecanol attracted males when tested in amounts 10-20 times higher than the acetate pheromone component. The acetate esters of the (2S,3R)-analog and the (2S,3R,7R)-isomer of diprionol also were tested in combination with the pheromone compound (acetate ester). Both compounds caused an almost total trap-catch reduction in Sweden, whereas in Japan they appear to have relatively little effect on trap capture when added to diprionol acetate. Butyrate and iso-butyrate esters of diprionol were unattractive to N. sertifer in Sweden. In summary, there exists geographic variation in N. sertifer in responses to both diprionyl acetate and some of its analogs.

Biology of a putative male aggregation-sex pheromone in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)

“…All known sex pheromones in non-apocrita Hymenoptera have been reported to be female emitted. Sex pheromones in Diprionidae species possess acetate and/or propanoate of di-and tri-methyl-branched 2-alkanol of 11-20 carbon long backbones with different chiral centres [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]. In Cephidae, 9-acetyloxynonanal in Cephus cinctus [51] and (9Z)-octadec-9-en-4-olide in Janus integer [52] were described as sex pheromones.…”

Field validation of senesced banana leaf extracts for trapping banana weevils on smallholder banana/plantain farms

“…In addition, Anderbrant et al. (2010) reported a dependence on geographical location from a field study using pheromones. Therefore, any geographic or on‐farm influences in our trapping experiment were off set and expected to contribute marginally to variation, as all fields were in in the same region (6º41ʹ18ʺN; 1º37ʹ27ʺW).…”

Structure-Activity Studies of Semiochemicals from the Spider Orchid Caladenia plicata for Sexual Deception

“…The pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer (Geoffroy) uses the acetate or propionate of (2S,3S,7S)-3,7-dimethyl-2-pentadecanol (diprionol) as pheromone components. Anderbrant et al (2010) tested the attraction of males to the acetates of three analogues of diprionol, each missing one methyl group. None of the analogues alone, or in combination with diprionol acetate, were attractive in Sweden, while in Japan, the acetate of (2S,3S)-3-methyl-2-pentadecanol attracted males when tested in amounts 10-20 times higher than the acetate pheromone component, showing that even geographic variation in sex pheromone specificity is possible (Anderbrant et al 2010).…”

“…Anderbrant et al (2010) tested the attraction of males to the acetates of three analogues of diprionol, each missing one methyl group. None of the analogues alone, or in combination with diprionol acetate, were attractive in Sweden, while in Japan, the acetate of (2S,3S)-3-methyl-2-pentadecanol attracted males when tested in amounts 10-20 times higher than the acetate pheromone component, showing that even geographic variation in sex pheromone specificity is possible (Anderbrant et al 2010). Perhaps the most striking example of sex pheromone specificity is in the honey bee.…”