Sulcatol: Enantiospecific Attractant for Monarthrum mali (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Leptostylus asperatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Associated Predators.

ABSTRACT

In 2014-2019, we conducted six experiments in north-central Georgia in an attempt to verify the aggregation pheromone response of the ambrosia beetle Gnathotrichus materiarius (Fitch) (Coleoptera Curculionidae Scolytinae Scolytini Corthylina) to sulcatol known to be produced by male G. materiarius; we failed to catch any G. materiarius. However, we did find that another corthyline ambrosia beetle species Monarthrum mali (Fitch) was attracted to (R)-(-)-sulcatol, whereas the longhorn beetle Leptostylus asperatus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera Cerambycidae Lamiinae) was attracted to (S)-(+)-sulcatol. Attraction of both species was unaffected by the respective antipodes. Ethanol enhanced attraction of both species to traps baited with sulcatol. In at least one experiment, attraction to ethanol-baited traps was enhanced by sulcatol for Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky), Xyleborus spp., and Hypothenemus spp. but reduced for Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford) (Coleoptera Curculionidae Scolytinae). Additionally, traps baited with ethanol and racemic sulcatol [50% (S)-(+) 50% (R)-(-)] caught the greatest numbers of four species of beetle predators Coptodera aerata Dejean (Coleoptera Carabidae), Colydium lineola Say (Coleoptera Zopheridae), Madoniella dislocata (Say), and Pyticeroides laticornis (Say) (Coleoptera Cleridae). Ethanol but not sulcatol attracted Temnoscheila virescens (F.) (Coleoptera Trogossitidae). Information on interspecific relationships within forested communities may help us to better determine the roles of these species in maintaining stable and resilient forested ecosystems.