Pheromones and Other Semiochemicals for Monitoring Rare and Endangered Species

Abstract

As global biodiversity declines, biodiversity and conservation have become ever more important research topics. Research in chemical ecology for conservation purposes has not adapted to address this need. During the last 10–15 years, only a few insect pheromones have been developed for biodiversity and conservation studies, including the identification and application of pheromones specifically for population monitoring. These investigations, supplemented with our knowledge from decades of studying pest insects, demonstrate that monitoring with pheromones and other semiochemicals can be applied widely for conservation of rare and threatened insects. Here, I summarize ongoing conservation research, and outline potential applications of chemical ecology and pheromone-based monitoring to studies of insect biodiversity and conservation research. Such applications include monitoring of insect population dynamics and distribution changes, including delineation of current ranges, the tracking of range expansions and contractions, and determination of their underlying causes. Sensitive and selective monitoring systems can further elucidate the importance of insect dispersal and landscape movements for conservation. Pheromone-based monitoring of indicator species will also be useful in identifying biodiversity hotspots, and in characterizing general changes in biodiversity in response to landscape, climatic, or other environmental changes.

Biotechnological potential of insect fatty acid-modifying enzymes

“…The pheromones have several inherent advantages over insecticides: they are active in extremely small amounts (nanogram and sub-nanogram quantities), and they are specific toward the target species and generally non-toxic to other animals or humans (reviewed by W itzgall et al [168]). Currently, synthetically prepared insect pheromones are used either as attractants for monitoring or mass trapping of insect pests, monitoring of other relevant insect species such as endangered species ( [169], reviewed in [170]), or mating disruption of pest species via the release of synthetic sex pheromones that compromise olfactory communication and mate finding in insect pests [168].…”

Linear relationship between peak and season-long abundances in insects

“…The model describes the relationship between insect catches during the week of peak activity, the flight period F, and season-long cumulative catches A, which is a direct measure of the insect abundance. It is known that pheromone traps achieve detection probability of nearly 100% even for relatively sparse populations [37]. It is therefore reasonable to assume high sensitivity of the traps.…”

Identification of Δ6‐unsaturated, monoenyl type I pheromone compounds from the cashew stem borer Anthistarcha binocularis (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

“…Control techniques that act in the adult phase as a mating disruption or a mass trapping with species‐specific pheromone traps have been useful tools for monitoring and controlling many species of Lepidoptera . In some Gelechiidae pests, sex pheromones have been identified and used in integrated pest management practices …”

“…Control techniques that act in the adult phase as a mating disruption or a mass trapping with species-specific pheromone traps have been useful tools for monitoring and controlling many species of Lepidoptera. [10][11][12] In some Gelechiidae pests, sex pheromones have been identified and used in integrated pest management practices. 13,14 Based on the aforementioned information, we aim to identify, synthesize and perform an attractiveness field test with the sex pheromone components of A. binocularis.…”