Kairomonal Response of Predators to Three Pine Bast Scale Sex Pheromones

Abstract

The kairomonal activity of the sex pheromones of three pine bast scales, Matsucoccus feytaudi, Matsucoccus josephi, and Matsucoccus matsumurae, as well as a new analog of the M. feytaudi sex pheromone, were investigated in pine forests of France, Portugal, and Italy. The response of the maritime pine bast scale predators, Elatophilus spp. and Hemerobius stigma, was used to test the influence of trapping methods, kairomone composition, and dose. Both predators showed significant attraction to all compounds except to the sex pheromone of M. josephi. Significant increase in captures was observed as a function of dose, and within the studied dose range, up to 2200 mg, no threshold saturation limits were observed for any of the attractive compounds. Trap design and size did not significantly influence predator captures, except for high population levels of Elatophilus crassicornis, when plate traps were more efficient than delta traps. Geographic variations were found in the kairomonal responses patterns of both predators, with the M. matsumurae sex pheromone being more attractive to the oriental populations from Corsica and Italy, whereas the western populations in Aquitaine and Portugal were more attracted to the M. feytaudi sex pheromone.

Population monitoring of the pine processionary moth (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) with pheromone-baited traps

“…Previous field tests with the pityolure also showed higher pheromone-trap captures with 2 mg than 1 mg (Einhorn et al, 1983) or with 1 mg compared to 0.0005 mg (Cuevas et al, 1983a). However, our data further demonstrate an asymptotic pheromone dose-response that seems to be quite common among insects (Hibbard et al, 1991;Evenden et al, 1995;Knutson et al, 1998;Rao and Subbaratnam, 1998;Branco et al, 2006a) and can partly be explained by an increase in the sampling area with increased dosage (Branco et al, 2006b). The rapid initial increase of male response to pheromone dosage followed by a more constant number of captures suggests a saturation level around 10 mg and no overdose repellence effect.…”

Landscape diversity slows the spread of an invasive forest pest species

“…Ranges of values are given for the area colonised by 2011. In a previous study, we found that the pheromone release threshold triggering the attraction of E. nigricornis (a kairomonal effect) was much higher than that for the attraction of M. feytaudi males (Branco et al 2006). Correlation coefficients (Pearson's r) indicate the direction of individual explanatory variable effects on the spread of the invasion.…”

Los crisópidos de la Península Ibérica y Baleares (Insecta, Neuropterida, Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

“…La localización de sus presas a través de sus secreciones, kairomonas, alomonas y/o feromonas ha sido frecuentemente registrada, y sobre ellas pueden llegar a ser extremadamente voraces (Withycombe, 1925;Principi, 1954bPrincipi, , 1984Tjeder, 1966;Canard, 1973aCanard, , 1973bWattebled et al, 1978;Samson & Blood, 1979Canard & Duelli, 1984;New, 1986aNew, , 1988aNew, , 1989New, , 2001Duelli, 1987b;Frazer, 1988;Szentkirályi, 1989Szentkirályi, , 2001aMcEwen et al, 1993aMcEwen et al, , 2001Růžička, 1994Růžička, , 1997aRůžička, , 1997bRůžička, , 1998Růžička, , 2010Mendel et al, 1997Mendel et al, , 2004Boo et al, 1998Boo et al, , 1999Boo et al, , 2003Bakthavatsalam & Singh, 1999;Nelson et al, 2001;Canard & Volkovich, 2001;Penny, 2002;Branco et al, 2006aBranco et al, , 2006bSchwartzberg et al, 2008;Koczor et al, 2010Koczor et al, , 2015.…”