E)-6, 10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-ol (fuscumol) is an important component of male-produced aggregation pheromones for several species of cerambycid beetles in the genus Tetropium (subfamily Aseminae ⁄ Spondylidinae). Here, we describe the experiments that tested the hypothesis that fuscumol and ⁄ or fuscumol acetate also are general attractants for species in the cerambycid subfamily Lamiinae. At field sites in northwestern Indiana and central Texas (USA), panel traps baited with fuscumol or its acetate captured 331 lamiine beetles, compared to 11 beetles captured in control traps. Three species were attracted to traps baited with fuscumol as a single component, whereas another four species were attracted to fuscumol acetate alone. Surprisingly, fuscumol acetate also attracted two species in the subfamily Cerambycinae: Xylotrechus colonus (Fabricius) (males of which produce a pheromone composed only of stereoisomers of 2,3-hexanediol and 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one), and Obrium maculatum (Olivier) (for which a pheromone has yet to be identified). In an independent field experiment in east-central Illinois (USA), traps baited with fuscumol and ⁄ or its acetate captured 136 beetles of eight lamiine species, all but one species of which were also captured in the other experiment. Blending fuscumol and its acetate did not inhibit responses of species to either of the individual compounds, but synergized their activity for one species. Our results support the hypothesis that fuscumol and fuscumol acetate are widespread pheromone components or attractants for a variety of cerambycid species, especially lamiines in the tribe Acanthocinini.

Cuticular hydrocarbons play important roles in contact chemical communication in insects. Many of these compounds are methyl-branched hydrocarbons with one or more chiral centers, which can exist in two or more stereoisomeric forms. Although the importance of chirality for the volatile semiochemicals that insects use for long-range communication is well established, almost nothing is known about the role of chirality in insect contact chemoreception. Here, we used reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and digital polarimetry to isolate and determine the absolute configuration of a component of the female-produced contact sex pheromone of the cerambycid beetle, Neoclytus acuminatus acuminatus (F.). The pheromone consists of 7-methylpentacosane (7-MeC25), 7-methylheptacosane (7-MeC27), and 9-methylheptacosane (9-MeC27). The absolute configuration of the most abundant pheromone component, 7-MeC25, was found to be (R). We then utilized enantiomerically pure synthetic pheromone components to test the hypothesis that males would respond more strongly to (R)- than to (S)-enantiomers of the three pheromone components. We also tested blends of (R)-7-MeC27, the most bioactive component, with the (S)-enantiomers of the minor components and vice versa to determine if unnatural stereoisomers might decrease behavioral responses. Males responded most strongly to solvent-washed females treated with the blend of (R)-pheromone components, and to a lesser extent to (R)-7-MeC27 alone. A blend of (R)-7-MeC27 with the (S)-minor components elicited an intermediate response. Together, these findings suggest that the insects can discriminate the absolute configuration of the major and minor pheromone components, and that the configuration of all three components is likely to be (R).

Within the family Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), (E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-ol (fuscumol) and (E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-yl acetate (fuscumol acetate) have been shown to attract several species in the subfamily Lamiinae. However, it is not yet clear whether beetles within the subfamily actually produce these compounds as pheromones or rather respond to them as kairomones. We report here that male Astyleiopus variegatus (Haldeman) produce both fuscumol and fuscumol acetate, suggesting that the compounds are indeed pheromones for this species. We also determined that the absolute configurations of these compounds are (S)-fuscumol and (S)-fuscumol acetate by synthesis of both enantiomers of each.

Advances in control can help municipal foresters save ash trees from emerald ash borer (EAB) [Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire)] in urban forests. Although ash trees of any size can be protected from this pest, cities often do not implement programs because they fail to recognize and act on incipient populations of EAB. In this study, researchers develop a model for predicting ash mortality over an eight-year period, and validated with data from the removal of >14,000 ash trees killed by EAB in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. researchers then developed a sampling scheme to help foresters map their ash trees along the expected progression of ash decline. This model was then used to modify a web-based EAB cost calculator that compares discounted annual and cumulative costs of implementing a variety of management strategies. It was determined that strategies that most heavily relied on saving ash trees were less expensive and produced a larger forest than those strategies that mostly removed and replaced ash trees. Ratios of total discounted costs to discounted cumulative benefits of strategies that saved most ash trees were over twothirds lower than strategies of proactive tree removal and replacement. Delaying implementation of an ash management program until damage would be visible and more obvious to the community (Year 5 of the model) decreased the cost–benefit ratio by <5%. Thus, delays that rely on the abundance of locally damaged trees to bolster community support do not necessarily diminish the utility of implementing a control strategy.

With more scholarly journals being distributed electronically rather than in print form, we know that researchers download many articles. What is less well known is how journal articles are used after they are initially downloaded. To what extent are they saved, uploaded, tweeted, or otherwise shared? How does this reuse increase their total use and value to research and how does it influence library usage figures? University of Tennessee Chancellor's Professor Carol Tenopir, Professor Suzie Allard, and Adjunct Professor David Nicholas are leading a team of international researchers on a the project, "Beyond Downloads," funded by a grant from Elsevier. The project will look at how and why scholarly electronic articles are downloaded, saved, and shared by researchers. Sharing in today's digital environment may include links posted on social media, like Twitter, and in blogs or via e-mail. Having a realistic estimate of this secondary use will help provide a more accurate picture of the total use of scholarly articles.The speakers will present the objectives of the study, share the approach and avenues of exploration, and report on some preliminary findings. Furthermore, the speakers will discuss how the potential learnings could yield benefits to the library community.