Identifying Possible Pheromones of Cerambycid Beetles by Field Testing Known Pheromone Components in Four Widely Separated Regions of the United States

Abstract

The pheromone components of many cerambycid beetles appear to be broadly shared among related species, including species native to different regions of the world. This apparent conservation of pheromone structures within the family suggests that field trials of common pheromone components could be used as a means of attracting multiple species, which then could be targeted for full identification of their pheromones. Here, we describe the results of such field trials that were conducted in nine states in the northeastern, midwestern, southern, and western United States. Traps captured 12,742 cerambycid beetles of 153 species and subspecies. Species attracted in significant numbers to a particular treatment (some in multiple regions) included 19 species in the subfamily Cerambycinae, 15 species in the Lamiinae, one species in the Prioninae, and two species in the Spondylidinae. Pheromones or likely pheromones for many of these species, such as 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one and syn- and anti-2,3-hexanediols for cerambycine species, and fuscumol and/or fuscumol acetate for lamiine species, had already been identified. New information about attractants (in most cases likely pheromone components) was found for five cerambycine species (Ancylocera bicolor [Olivier], Elaphidion mucronatum [Say], Knulliana cincta cincta [Drury], Phymatodes aeneus LeConte, and Rusticoclytus annosus emotus [Brown]), and five lamiine species (Ecyrus dasycerus dasycerus [Say], Lepturges symmetricus [Haldeman], Sternidius misellus [LeConte], Styloleptus biustus biustus [LeConte], and Urgleptes signatus [LeConte]). Consistent attraction of some species to the same compounds in independent bioassays demonstrated the utility and reliability of pheromone-based methods for sampling cerambycid populations across broad spatial scales.

Common Cerambycid Pheromone Components as Attractants for Longhorn Beetles (Cerambycidae) Breeding in Ephemeral Oak Substrates in Northern Europe

“…Field studies conducted in the eastern USA, where P. testaceus was introduced many decades ago (Swift and Ray 2010), have revealed inconsistent responses to the two compounds. For example, adults of P. testaceus were attracted in significant numbers to traps baited with 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone alone during bioassays that lacked a 2-methyl-1-butanol treatment, but only the latter compound was attractive when both compounds were presented as single compound treatments in other bioassays (Hanks and Millar 2013; Hanks et al 2018, 2019; Millar et al 2018). Other field trials conducted in the eastern USA, with traps baited with blends of cerambycid pheromones that included 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone (Handley et al 2015; Hanks and Millar 2013), have also demonstrated significant attraction of P. testaceus to these blends.…”

A male-produced aggregation-sex pheromone of the beetle Arhopalus rusticus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Spondylinae) may be useful in managing this invasive species

“…The growing evidence that fuscumol and its analogues appear to be conserved pheromone structures within both the subfamilies Spondylidinae and Lamiinae (e.g. 27,76–81 ) also has major implications for invasion biology. Specifically, it is a prerequisite for reproduction that males and females encounter each other and mate, but the sexes are less likely to locate one another successfully at low densities (i.e.…”

Variations on a Theme: Two Structural Motifs Create Species-Specific Pheromone Channels for Multiple Species of South American Cerambycid Beetles

“…From a practical viewpoint, this parsimony implies that multiple cerambycid species may be attracted to traps baited with single components or blends of related pheromone components [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. As such, these pheromones are finding increasing use in the delineation of the geographic ranges of native species [11], and in surveillance programs for detecting exotic species [12].…”

“…In particular, wood-boring cerambycid beetles are of major importance as potential invaders, because of the ease with which they are transported between continents in wooden products and packing materials by global commerce [9,10,12]. This parsimony also implies that the identification of pheromone components for one cerambycid species may subsequently expedite the identification of pheromones or likely pheromones for related target species [8,13,14].…”