Abstract

We report the identification, synthesis, and field bioassay of a novel attractant pheromone produced by males of Eburodacrys vittata (Blanchard), a South American cerambycid beetle in the subfamily Cerambycinae. Headspace volatiles from males contained a sex-specific compound, identified as 10-methyldodecanal. In a field bioassay conducted in Brazil, significant numbers of males and females were caught in traps baited with synthesized racemic 10-methyldodecanal, consistent with the aggregation-sex pheromones produced by males of many cerambycine species. This compound represents a new structural class of cerambycid pheromones, and it is the first pheromone identified for a species in the tribe Eburiini.

Highlights

  • In the past 12 years, more than 100 pheromones and pheromone candidates have been identified from cerambycid beetle species in the subfamilies Cerambycinae, Lamiinae, Prioninae, Spondylidinae, and Lepturinae, demonstrating that these types of semiochemicals are critical for effective mate location by these beetles

  • As with all other attractant pheromones known from cerambycids in the subfamily Cerambycinae, we found that male E. vittata produce an aggregation-sex pheromone that attracts both sexes

  • Because we had captured adult E. vittata with light traps in a previous experiment that was intended for other purposes, we inferred that this species was probably nocturnal

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Summary

Introduction

In the past 12 years, more than 100 pheromones and pheromone candidates have been identified from cerambycid beetle species in the subfamilies Cerambycinae, Lamiinae, Prioninae, Spondylidinae, and Lepturinae, demonstrating that these types of semiochemicals are critical for effective mate location by these beetles (reviewed in [1]). Increasing evidence suggests that there is considerable parsimony among cerambycid species with regard to pheromone biosynthesis and use, with closely related species sharing pheromone components, or even producing pheromones of apparently identical composition [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Numerous species in the subfamily Cerambycinae produce pheromone components compounds that are 6, 8, or 10 carbons in length, with hydroxyl or carbonyl groups on C2 and C3 [8]. Because of this parsimony, it is common to catch several related species in traps baited with a single compound. Recent work has shown that cross attraction among sympatric cerambycid species is minimized by a number of mechanisms, including differences between species in seasonal

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