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The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is an invasive pest in Europe causing damage on Buxus species. In this study, we aimed to develop a "bisexual" lure to attract both female and male moths. Based on a previous screening bioassay we tested methyl salicylate, phenylacetaldehyde and eugenol as potential attractants in different combinations. The trapping results showed that both binary and ternary blends attracted male and female moths. Catches with these blends were comparable to catches with the synthetic pheromone. Subsequently we carried out single sensillum recordings, which proved the peripheral detection of the above-mentioned compounds on male and female antennae. To identify synergistic flower volatiles, which can be also attractive and can increase the trap capture, we collected flower headspace volatiles from 12 different flowering plant species. Several components of the floral scents evoked good responses from antennae of both females and males in gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection. The most active components were tentatively identified by gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry as benzaldehyde, cis-ß-ocimene, (±)-linalool and phenethyl alcohol. These selected compounds in combination did not increase significantly the trap capture compared to the methyl salicylate- phenyacetaldehyde blend. Based on these results we discovered the first attractive blend, which was able to attract both adult male and female C. perspectalis in field conditions. These results will yield a good basis for the optimization and development of a practically usable bisexual lure against this invasive pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriotes ustulatus is an economically important click beetle in Europe. A female-produced pheromone, (E,E)-farnesyl acetate, has been identified and is used for monitoring and detecting males. More recently, a floral lure targeting females with modest, but significant, activity has been described. Based on preliminary data, we hypothesized, that similar to the effects on the congeneric A. brevis, addition of the pheromone to the floral lure should improve female A. ustulatus catches. Also, as click beetles have been reported to respond to white light, we studied possible interactions between visual and chemical cues. In field trials, the addition of the synthetic pheromone to the floral lure resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of females trapped, whereas male catches remained unaffected and equal to those in traps baited with pheromone only. A white visual cue did not influence trap catches. Maximum catches of both sexes of A. ustulatus can be achieved using the pheromone and the floral lure inside the same trap. Furthermore, the compounds can be formulated in a single polyethylene bag dispenser, making handling of the trap easier. Due to a much larger proportion of females in the catch, this improved trap may be a promising tool for semiochemical-based, environmentally sound agricultural practice against this important pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the pheromone gland extract of females of the click beetle Agriotes sordidus (Illiger), revealed the presence of geranyl hexanoate (GH) and ( E,E)-farnesyl hexanoate (FH) in an approximate ratio of 1:1. In the female-released volatiles collected by headspace extraction, GH was a dominant component with FH present only in trace amounts. In field trapping tests GH on its own captured high numbers of A. sordidus adults, whereas the addition of FH in various proportions had no effect on captures. A closer scrutiny of adults caught in GH-baited traps revealed that 10-40 % of them were females. Significantly higher numbers of both female and male beetles were attracted to traps baited with GH as compared to unbaited controls showing a clear dose-response relationship with higher doses catching more beetles. In electroantennogram (EAG) tests responses of female and male antennae to a number of known click beetle pheromone components showed the same trend in both sexes, giving the highest answers to GH. This suggests that female and male antennae are similar with respect to the perception of pheromone components, and that GH shows some activity as an aggregation pheromone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In field tests in Europe, traps baited with a blend of isoamyl alcohol, acetic acid, and isobutanol (compounds previously found attractive to a number of noctuids in North America) caught the following noctuid moths: Agrotis segetum Schiff., Agrotis crassa Hbn., Agrotis exclamationis L., Amathes (Xestia) c-nigrum L., Apatele rumicis L., Amphipyra pyramidea L., Dipterygia scabriuscula L., Discestra trifolii Hfn., Euxoa aquilina Schiff., Euclidia glyphica L., Mamestra brassicae L., Mamestra oleracea L., Mamestra suasa Schiff., Mythimna albipuncta Den. & Schiff., Mythimna l-album L., Noctua pronuba L., and Trachea atriplicis L. A substantial percentage of the catch of each species of moths was females. The presence of isobutanol in the mixture was important for catching A. rumicis, D. trifolii, and E. glyphica. The addition of 3-methyl-1-pentanol to the ternary mixture did not increase trap captures of any of the moths. Traps baited with the floral attractant phenylacetaldehyde alone caught several species of noctuid moths. However, when phenylacetaldehyde was added to the isoamyl-alcohol ternary blend, no increases in catches of any of the species, relative to the ternary blend or phenyacetaldehyde alone, were observed, with catches of most species being depressed. Comparing the noctuid species attracted to the phenylacetaldehyde- and isoamyl alcohol-based lures showed that phenylacetaldehyde attracted predominantly Plusiinae and Melicleptriinae spp., while isoamyl alcohol-based lures attracted species mostly from the Noctuinae or Hadeninae subfamilies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the efficiency of the known floral attractant of Epicometis hirta [( E)-anethol and ( E)-cinnamyl alcohol in a ratio of 1:1], candidate synergist compounds for field tests were selected through electroantennographic tests using the antennae of female and male E. hirta adult beetles. Among synthetic floral compounds 4-methoxyphenethyl alcohol and methyl salicylate evoked high responses from the antennae and were chosen for further field studies. In trapping tests in Bulgaria, the addition of 4-methoxyphenethyl alcohol to the E. hirta bait in the ratio of 1:1:1, in Hungary in ratios of 1:1:0.3 and 1:1:1 significantly increased catches. The addition of methyl salicylate was without effect in both countries. A high-capacity trap supplied with this ternary attractant could be more efficient for mass trapping purposes of E. hirta in environment-friendly plant protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(R, Z)-5-(-)-(Oct-1-enyl)oxacyclopentan-2-one (R-buibuilactone) attracted male Anomala solida Er. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae), a vineyard and orchard pest in Southeastern Europe. The presence of the corresponding (S) enantiomer or of 2-(E)-nonen-1-ol (a frequently found pheromone component in other Anomala spp.) in the bait did not influence catches. Traps baited with (R, Z)-5-(-)-(oct-1-enyl)oxacyclopentan-2-one were successfully used for monitoring the flight of A. solida, and may have practical applications for detection, monitoring, and mass trapping of the pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geranyl butyrate (GB) and (E,E)-famesyl butyrate (FB) were identified in the pheromone gland extract of females of the click beetle, Agriotes brevis (Candeze) (Coleoptera: Elateridae) as the major sex pheromone components. Polyethylene vial dispensers containing 20-200 mg of a 1:1 mixture caught high numbers of beetles. Captures did not decrease even after 73 days of field exposure of dispensers. At sites where both Agriotes sputator L. and A. brevis were present, the above baits were selectively catching only A. brevis, despite the fact that GB is also the main pheromone component of A. sputator, suggesting that FB has a role in reproductive isolation. In the early part of the season, traps into which the insects could both crawl and fly captured more A. brevis than designs where the insects could only fly in. Trap design was not important later in the season. This indicates the need for future development of a trap suitable for use throughout the whole season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]