Identification and evaluation of semiochemicals for the biological control of the beetle Omorgus suberosus (F.) (Coleoptera: Trogidae), a facultative predator of eggs of the sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz)

Abstract

The beetle Omorgus suberosus (F.) is a facultative predator of eggs of the olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz). Laboratory and field investigations were conducted in order to characterize volatile attractants of O. suberosus and to explore the potential for application of these volatiles in a selective mass trapping method. Headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE) coupled to thermo-desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) analysis of the volatile constituents from beetles or turtle nests revealed 24 potential compounds. However, electroantennographic (EAG) measurements revealed antennal sensitivity only to indole, linoleic acid, trimethylamine, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide and ammonia. Behavioural tests showed that these compounds are highly attractive to O. suberosus. Field trapping experiments revealed that indole and ammonia were more attractive than the other volatile compounds and showed similar attractiveness to that produced by conventional baits (chicken feathers). The use of a combined bait of indole and NH3 would therefore be the most effective trap design. The data presented are the first to demonstrate effective massive capture of O. suberosus using an attractant-based trapping method. These findings have potential for the development of an efficient mass trapping method for control of this beetle as part of efforts towards conservation of L. olivacea at La Escobilla in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Depredacion Por Insectos De Nidos Y Neonatos Protegidos De Podocnemis Vogli (Sabanas Inundables Del Casanare).

“…En el caso de los cucarrones del género Omorgus (Coleoptera: Trogidae) en nidos de tortugas marinas (Lepidochelys) en México, los atrayentes volátiles son distintos (e.g. indol, amonio, entre otros) (Cortez et al, 2017) y se presenta una notable diferencia en el proceso depredatorio, ya que las especies de Omorgus poseen la capacidad de atravesar la cáscara del huevo, en especial en el estado larval del insecto (Baena et al, 2015).…”

Floral and Bird Excreta Semiochemicals Attract Western Carpenter Ants

“…Challenged to locate them quickly, scavenging desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis, use olfaction to find deceased insects (Buehlmann et al, 2014), and the ponerine ant Pachycondyla analis and the formicine ant Crematogaster scutellaris exploit prey odor to locate termite and fig wasp prey, respectively (Schatz et al, 2003;Yusuf et al, 2014). As protein sources commonly release indole -which is a breakdown product of tryptophan and is an indicator of essential amino acid presence (Tomberlin et al, 2016) -many insects, including C. fortis, use indole as a generic semiochemical to locate protein sources (Chaudhury et al, 2015;Zito et al, 2015;Brodie et al, 2016Brodie et al, , 2018Cortez et al, 2017;Zhao et al, 2020). Similarly, workers of C. fortis are attracted to linoleic acid, a necromone indicative of deceased insects (Buehlmann et al, 2014).…”

Global change and multitrophic interactions in agriculture: implications for biological control

“…In order to analyse the plant VOCs, the relative abundance value of each chemical compound within a sample was expressed by the relative peak area of each compound, calculated by dividing the individual compound peak area by the total peak area of all compounds in a sample, expressing the result as a percentage (Cortez et al, 2017).…”