Mating disruption of the pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) in isolated pine stands

Abstract

1 Previous applications of the mating disruption technique to Neodiprion sertifer resulted in decreased numbers of males caught in the treated area but no effect on sex ratio or overall population density. 2 The present study assessed the efficacy of mating disruption against N. sertifer outbreaks in pine stands surrounded by agricultural areas or pasture, and therefore isolated from other infested areas. 3 Pine stands were treated by placing dispensers with an erythro-mixture of the acetate ester of 3,7-dimethyl-2-pentadecanol every 10 m in a grid. 4 The efficacy of this technique was evaluated by comparing the number of males caught in sticky traps baited with synthetic pheromone, and by comparing the sex ratio and the population density of the sawfly in the subsequent generation between treated and control pine stands. 5 The number of males caught within treated areas was significantly lower than in the control area. 6 In the treated pine stands 46% of the egg clusters resulted in male cocoons only, compared to 3% of the clusters in the control stand. 7 A significant reduction of the sawfly population was observed in the treated pine stands. The results contrast to the earlier mating disruption attempts with N. sertifer and can probably be ascribed to the isolation of the experimental stands.

Disruption of pheromone communication in the European pine sawfly, Neodiprion sertifer, at various heights

“…The present study gives clear evidence that this hypothesis was not correct. In a recent publication Martini et al. (2002) showed that mating disruption of N. sertifer can both alter the sex ratio and reduce the populations in small isolated pine stands.…”

“…The present study gives clear evidence that this hypothesis was not correct. In a recent publication Martini et al (2002) showed that mating disruption of N. sertifer can both alter the sex ratio and reduce the populations in small isolated pine stands. Thus, the assumption that it is the movement of mated females from surrounding areas that obstructs the effect of mating disruption in non-isolated areas still remains.…”

“…(2) The treated area was too restricted in size, so that mated females dispersed into all parts of the treated area, and thus obscured the effects of the treatment. The results, however, remained unchanged even when using a 25-ha large area (Anderbrant et al, 2002). (3) The vertical coverage was not sufficient because disruption dispensers were applied only at one height in a three-dimensional habitat.…”

Interlacing roles of bottom‐up, top‐down, endogenous, and anthropogenic factors in population oscillations

“…Neodiprion abietis females (Knerer and Atwood 1973), as well as females from other diprionid species (reviewed in Martini et al 2002), have been reported to have very limited dispersal activity. Nevertheless, during the early stages of outbreaks, adult immigration was clearly associated with population increase because values of recruitment reached 500 eggs per adult even though N. abietis females rarely lay more than 75 eggs (Moreau and Quiring 2011).…”

Purification, Stereoisomeric Analysis and Quantification of Sex Pheromone Precursors in Female Whole Body Extracts from Pine Sawfly Species

“…Females of several pine sawfly species emit sex pheromones that attract males for mating. An alternative method to control and reduce the population is to use the insects own sex pheromone for monitoring, mass capture or mating disruption (Östrand et al, 1999;Rieske et al, 2001;Martini et al, 2002). The pheromone is stored as an alcohol precursor in the female body, which is esterified at the moment of release from the insect (Jewett et al, 1976;Anderbrant et al, 2005).…”