Field Evaluation of Selected Plant Volatiles and Conspecific Pheromones as Attractants for Agriotes obscurus and A. lineatus (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Agri and Forest Entomology

Saguez

et al. 2023

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1. The wheat wireworm, Agriotes mancus (Coleoptera: Elateridae), is a predominant elaterid pest species in the Nearctic region, with a life history and morphology similar to those of Agriotes obscurus, Agriotes lineatus and Agriotes sputator, three Palearctic pest elaterids invasive in North America. Here, we report the identification and field testing of the sex pheromone of A. mancus.2. We collected headspace volatiles from female beetles on Porapak Q, and analysed aliquots of Porapak extract by gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and by GC-mass spectrometry. In GC-EAD recordings, two esters-geranyl butanoate and geranyl hexanoate-elicited antennal responses from A. mancus males. In field experiments, trap lures containing both geranyl butanoate and geranyl hexanoate afforded large captures of A. mancus males, which were-on average-approximately 30-fold higher than captures in traps baited with a single ester.3. Traps baited with geranyl butanoate as a single-component lure captured a significant number of Palearctic A. sputator, indicating the establishment of A. sputator in its invaded Nearctic range.4. With the A. mancus sex pheromone now known, it can be included in the development of pheromone-based programmes to monitor and manage native and invasive Agriotes pests in North America.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex pheromone of Nearctic Agriotes mancus and its similarity to that of three Palearctic Agriotes invasive in North America

Singleton

Agri and Forest Entomology

Saguez

et al. 2023

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“…With sex pheromones of key elaterid pests becoming known and commercially available, pheromone lures that attract more than one elaterid species or genus would improve cost efficiency and practicality of pheromone-based tactics for elaterid pest management. As previously shown, (E)-4-ethyloct-4-enoic acid (limoniic acid) as a single-component sex pheromone is highly attractive to each of the four major North American Limonius pests (L. californicus, L. canus, L. infuscatus and L. agonus) (Gries et al, 2021;Lemke et al, 2022;van Herk et al, 2023;van Herk, Lemke, Gries, et al, 2021) obscurus decreased by 76%-77% (van Herk, Vernon, Bourassa-Tait, et al, 2022;Vernon, van Herk, & Tanaka, 2014) The concept of combining synthetic pheromones of multiple pest species in a mixed pheromone lure has previously been explored with varying degrees of success in several integrated pest management programs. The concept was tested with mealybugs (Waterworth et al, 2011), longhorn beetles (Fan et al, 2019;Nakamuta et al, 1997;Rice et al, 2020;Wong et al, 2012), moths (Brockerhoff et al, 2013;Jones et al, 2009;Preti et al, 2020) and true bugs (Kim et al, 2015;Yasuda et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Conversely, the sex pheromones of A. obscurus (geranyl hexanoate & geranyl octanoate) and A. lineatus (geranyl butanoate & geranyl octanoate) could not be combined in coastal BC without reducing the lure's attractiveness to A. obscurus . When synthetic sex pheromones of A. lineatus and A. obscurus were combined in a mixed lure, captures of A. lineatus remained unaffected but captures of A. obscurus decreased by 76%–77% (van Herk, Vernon, Bourassa‐Tait, et al, 2022; Vernon, van Herk, & Tanaka, 2014), indicating a deterrent effect of the A. lineatus pheromone on attraction and capture of male A. obscurus . Responses of male A. lineatus and A. obscurus to limoniic acid, and responses of male Limonius spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixed sex pheromone lures for combined captures of Agriotes and Limonius pest click beetles in North America

Lemke

Singleton

et al. 2023

J Applied Entomology

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Sex pheromone lures are effective tools for monitoring and potentially controlling populations of pest click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae). To date, these lures are genus‐specific (e.g., Limonius spp.) or species‐specific (e.g., Agriotes lineatus Linnaeus). However, if sympatric heterogeners were not to be repelled by each other's pheromones, trap lures effective for multiple elaterid genera could be developed, improving cost efficiency in elaterid pest management programs. In both western and eastern North America, several species of Agriotes spp. and Limonius spp. co‐occur and inflict similar crop damage. We investigated whether the sex pheromones of these species can be combined in a mixed lure without reducing its attractiveness to all target species. In western Canada, we show that the pheromones of A. lineatus (geranyl butanoate & geranyl octanoate) and Limonius spp. [(E)‐4‐ethyloct‐4‐enoic acid (limoniic acid)] can be combined without significantly reducing captures of male A. lineatus, L. canus (LeConte), L. californicus (Mannerheim) and L. infuscatus (Motschulsky) relative to traps baited with species‐specific lures for A. lineatus and Limonius spp.. Similarly, the pheromone of A. obscurus (Linnaeus) (geranyl hexanoate & geranyl octanoate) and limoniic acid can be combined without significantly reducing trap captures of male L. canus, L. infuscatus and L. californicus but reduced A. obscurus captures relative to traps baited only with the A. obscurus pheromone. In eastern Canada, combining pheromones for Agriotes mancus (Say) (geranyl butanoate & geranyl hexanoate) and limoniic acid reduced captures of A. mancus but not A. pubescens (Melsheimer) and A. sputator (Linnaeus). These data imply that pheromones of select elaterid heterogeners can be combined in a ‘catch‐more’ pheromone lure to effectively monitor for, or possibly control, multiple elaterid pests, but that such mixed lures should be evaluated for each species combination.

Disorientation of male Agriotes click beetles in the presence of granulate pheromones - a case for mating disruption

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

Kabaluk

Vernon

et al. 2023

Abstract1. Larvae of multiple click beetle species, i.e. wireworms, are important pests of agriculture worldwide, and are generally managed with insecticides. Conceivably, semiochemical-based management tactics that target male beetles and reduce the mating success of females, would reduce the formation of new larvae in the field.2. Using two of the best studied species, Agriotes obscurus (AO) and A. lineatus (AL), we evaluated the ability of male beetles to find traps that simulate calling female beetles in field plots treated with various formulations and densities of pheromone-treated substrates. Four disorientation studies were conducted, and the response of wild and marked-released beetles inferred from frequent trap collections.3. Beetle responses differed between male AO, female AO, and male AL. The presence of AO pheromone increased male AO movements, reduced captures in baited traps, and attracted wild AO beetles into the plots. By the final experiment, the pheromone-treated substrate effectively disoriented male AO for > 17 d. However, treatment with AL pheromone reduced male AO movements and/or repelled them from the plots. Female AO were slightly attracted to their own pheromone early in the season, but not thereafter. Treatment with AL pheromone attracted male AL into plots but did not increase their activity. Both AO and AL pheromone disrupted male AL behaviour, but less significantly than observed for male AO.4. These results suggest pheromone-based click beetle mating disruption for wireworm management is feasible. However, further work is required to determine application rates and methods, and if this can be developed for other species.