Male-biassed response of garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola L., to leaf alcohol and attraction of both sexes to floral plant volatiles

Abstract

Field tests were performed to evaluate the response of the garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to known scarab attractants and to investigate the influence of trap colour and height on the number of captured beetles. Both sexes were attracted by a lure mixture composed of geraniol, eugenol, and 2-phenylethyl propionate (PEP) (ratio 3:7:3). When testing floral volatiles individually, only geraniol, eugenol and methyl anthranilate but not PEP was attractive. Response of garden chafer to (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol was strongly male-biassed. Both the response to floral volatiles and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol was increased by using funnel traps with yellow instead of grey vanes. Traps positioned at 50 and 125 cm above ground captured significantly more garden chafers than those at 200 cm. The strongly male-biassed response to (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol suggests that in P. horticola (subfamily Rutelinae) orientation towards plant volatiles emitted upon mechanical damage of plants is part of the male mate finding strategy as recently demonstrated for cockchafers of the genus Melolontha (subfamily Melolonthinae). Possible application of plant volatiles for control of P. horticola is discussed.

A novel plant volatile attractant scheme to protect corn in China from the white-spotted flower chafer (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)

“…Of these eight synthetic compounds, geraniol was only one of the Japanese beetle attractants to show activity. The importance of combinations of chemicals as scarab attractants throughout the world cannot be overlooked (Ladd et al 1981, Klein andEdwards 1989;Reed et al 1991;Leal 1998;Ruther 2004;Ruther and Mayer 2005). It is possible that combinations of attractants would also prove superior for WSFC.…”

“…Polyphagous species would be expected to feed opportunistically on available leaves, fruits or flowers, utilizing alcohols and other odors commonly found in many plant parts (Donaldson et al 1990;Lin and Phelan 1991;Phelan and Lin 1991;Reinecke et al 2002;Ruther and Hilker 2003;Ruther 2004;Ruther and Mayer 2005). Chen et al (2006) previously identified a wide selection of locally available fruit which could produce numerous volatiles attractive to WSFC.…”

“…Geraniol and anethole, often along with eugenol, are attractive to several Cetoniinae in Europe (Toth et al , 2004(Toth et al , 2009Vuts et al 2010a, b) the USA (Cherry et al 1996;Crocker et al 1999), and China (Li et al 1995;Chen et al 2001). In addition, Toth et al (1994), Tolasch et al (2003), Ruther (2004), and Ruther and Mayer (2005) and have reported leaf alcohols, plant volatiles and acetoin as attractants for Anomala spp., Phyllopertha horticola, Melolontha spp., and Amphimallon solstitiale in Europe.…”

Chemical Ecology of the Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis

“…de Groot et al (2008 suggested (Z)-3-hexenol may serve as an important cue for finding females on foliage in the canopy of ash trees. Interestingly, (Z)-3-hexenol also is reported to be a kairomone for chafers (Genus Melolontha) in conjunction with a female pheromone (Ruther et al 2000Ruther 2004).…”

“…Their levels can become elevated due to stress from a variety of factors that can include physical damage and insect feeding (Ruther et al 2000;Zhang and Schlyter 2004;Cossé et al 2006;Rodriguez-Saona et al 2006). GLVs can act as kairomones, pheromonal synergists, and host specific attractants for a number of coleopteran species (Dickens et al 1990;Dickens 2000;Ruther et al 2000Ruther et al , 2002Reinecke et al 2002Reinecke et al , 2006Ruther 2004;Cossé et al 2006;Fernandez et al 2007). Rodriguez-Saona et al (2006) examined volatile emission changes of Manchurian ash seedlings (native host of A. planipennis) by using methyl jasmonate (MeJa), the volatile derivative of the stress-inducing hormone, jasmonic acid (JA).…”