Trapping of Retrachydes thoracicus thoracicus (Olivier) and Other Neotropical Cerambycid Beetles in Pheromone- and Kairomone-Baited Traps.

The subfamily Cerambycinae, one of the most diverse in longhorn beetles, is well known for its remarkable chemical parsimony in male-emitted pheromones. Conserved shared structural motifs have been reported in numerous species, sometimes working in combination with plant volatile kairomones. Among other compounds, the most ubiquitous male pheromone in cerambycine species is 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one. We conducted field trials using intercept traps baited with 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one and observed abundant captures of several Neotropical cerambycine species. These were Retrachydes thoracicus thoracicus (Olivier), Megacyllene acuta (Germar), Compsocerus violaceus (White), and Cotyclytus curvatus (Germar) in high numbers, as well as Chydarteres striatus striatus (Fabricius) and Odontocroton flavicauda (Bates) in smaller numbers. When ethanol was added to the traps, a remarkable increase in the attractiveness of 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one was observed for R. thoracicus thoracicus and M. acuta. Adding ethanol also resulted in the capture of Chrysoprasis aurigena (Germar). Finally, incidental catches in pheromone-baited traps of Trachelissa maculicollis (Audinet-Serville), Neoclytus pusillus (Laporte & Gory), Achryson unicolor (Bruch, 1908) and Achryson surinamum (Linnaeus), Megacyllene mellyi (Chevrolat) and Thelgetra adustus (Burmeister) were also observed. Pheromone chemistry has been reported for C. curvatus, M. acuta and N. pusillus, all three producing 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, and for C. aurigena and A. surinamum, which produce other compounds. Our findings suggest that the captured species probably produce 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one for their pheromone communication system. Alternatively, they might be "eavesdropping" on the pheromones of other cerambycine species. The probable synergistic effect of ethanol is likely explained from its kairomonal role as a volatile cue for plant stress or ripeness.

Pheromone Chemistry of the Citrus Borer, Diploschema rotundicolle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

The citrus borer, Diploschema rotundicolle, is a Neotropical longhorn beetle that has become a serious citrus pest in southern South America. Management strategies for this insect rely on trimming off damaged shoots, which is expensive and inefficient. We studied the chemical communication system in D. rotundicolle in search of attractants for monitoring or control. GC-MS and enantioselective GC analyses of volatile extracts from field-collected adults showed that males produce (R)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, irregularly accompanied by minor amounts of 2,3-hexanediol (all four stereoisomers) and 2,3-hexanedione. Males emit the compounds only at night, when the adults are active. GC-EAD analyses of natural and synthetic compounds showed that both male and female antennae respond to the natural enantiomer (R)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, suggesting that it may function as an aggregation-sex pheromone as seen in many cerambycines. The non-natural (S) enantiomer as well as the minor component 2,3-hexanediol did not trigger antennal responses. Field tests with the racemic 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, enantiomerically pure (R)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, as well as a mixture of racemic 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone and 2,3-hexanediol, showed in all cases low capture levels of D. rotundicolle. However, increasing the elevation of the trap and the emission rate of dispensers enhanced field captures in traps baited with racemic hydroxyketone. Incidental catches of another native cerambycine, Retrachydes thoracicus, in traps baited with 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone are also reported. This is the first report of pheromone chemistry in the genus Diploschema and in the tribe Torneutini, reaffirming the pheromone parsimony well established for the Cerambycinae. Potential factors explaining the weak attraction of D. rotundicolle in the field are discussed.