Attacking Behavior and Behavioral Responses to Dust Volatiles from Holes Bored by the Red Turpentine Beetle,Dendroctonus valens(Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Abstract

Abstract The invasive red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens LeConte, is one of the most economically destructive forest pests in China, having killed >6 million pines in recent years. There is a need to understand the basic biology and ecology of the beetle to develop an effective monitoring and management strategy. Combining field observation with experiments in the laboratory, we tested red turpentine beetle attacking behavior under artificial conditions and examined its behavioral responses to volatiles from holes bored. Our research proved that (1) an red turpentine beetle male adult cannot successfully bore into a pine without a preexisting tunnel that has been bored by a female, whereas an red turpentine beetle female can successfully bore into the tree without the presence of a male; (2) nearly all red turpentine beetle females who made tunnels were joined by red turpentine beetle males, and an red turpentine beetle male always joined a female’s tunnel ≈5 h after she had built it; (3) both red...