Field response of predatorRhizophagus grandis to prey frass and synthetic attractants

Abstract

A lure based on the proportional composition of monoterpenes inD. micans larval frass and deployed in Theysohn slot traps was highly attractive toR. grandis released in the field. The relative response to frass and lure was consistent over a range of doses, and behavior close to traps baited with either lure or frass appeared to be similar. The monoterpenes, formulated with antioxidant, appear to be stable over several weeks when released from proprietary reservoir and wick "air fresheners." The lure may be of value in monitoring predator populations.

Insect Pheromones and their Use in Pest Management

“…There are very few documented cases of the applied uses of predator manipulations in the field by semiochemicals but the manipulation of Chrysopa carnea through the use of tryptophan is well documented (Hagen et al, 1976;McEwen et al, 1994) and the attraction of Rhizophagus grandis using a kairomone produced by Dendroctonus micans in a trap to monitor the predator's distribution in the field (Wainhouse et al, 1991(Wainhouse et al, , 1992 serves also as an indicator of what is possible in terms of natural enemy manipulation through semiochemicals. …”

Defecation Behavior and Ecology of Insects

“…PREDATORS Compared with the wealth of information on responses of parasitoids to host waste products, surprisingly few studies have examined the responses of predatory invertebrates to waste products of potential prey taxa (39, 117). To date, predatory beetles (117,147,155), entomopathogenic nematodes (57), ants (96), and paper wasps (72, 150) are known to respond positively to the frass of their prey. Lures based on frass or frass components may be useful in enhancing or assessing the effectiveness of predators for biological control (38, 147).…”

Infochemicals mediating the foraging behaviour of Aleochara bilineata Gyllenhal adults: sources of attractants

“…Although exudates from warm-blooded vertebrates serve as kairomones to blood-sucking insects (Acree et al, 1968), volatiles from insect prey integument have seldom been found to elicit at a distance a response in insect natural enemies (Turlings et al, 1991a). The orientation of A. bilineata adults toward a cube of infested rutabaga from which larvae were removed, was apparently elicited by the cabbage maggot frass, an infochemical source often responsible for attraction of parasitoids (Agelopoulos & Keller, 1994b;Clement et al, 1986;Eller et al, 1988;Hendry et al, 1973;Smith et al, 1994) and predators (Wainhouse et al, 1992). However, microorganisms were not responsible for the production of infochemicals, as they do in the host-parasitoid system of Acrolepiopsis assectella Zell.-Diadromus pulchellus Wsm , since beetles oriented toward the cube of infested rutabaga without larvae and treated with formaldehyde, which should have killed microorganisms associated with larval frass.…”