Behavioral changes of powderpost beetle, Lyctus africanus Lesne (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae): responses on female extract

Abstract

Powderpost beetle, Lyctus africanus, is a common dry wood pest in the tropical region. The insect pest damages wood by converting the wood into powdery frass. The damaged wood is created by larvae of L. africanus which digests the starchy wood part into powdery form. The powdery form developed in exit holes from which Lyctus emerges is an indicator of an active infestation. However, the presence of frass could be detected in the delayed period. Developing prevention of Lyctus entrance into the wood is crucial to minimize the losses. Monitoring the Lyctus infestation regularly, as chemical communication practice, leads to green technology in the pest control system. The chemical communication in Lyctus beetle was identified as the pheromone detected in male Lyctus beetle. In contrast, the female crude extract was observed to show none of the attractant behavior. In this study, the activity of female crude extract of Lyctus on the behaviour of the beetle was observed. The extract was from hexane washed of newly emerged female beetle for 24 h. Chemical analysis by GC-MS indicated dominancy of hydrocarbon compounds in the female crude extract. Purification of the hydrocarbon fraction was then conducted in SiO2 column with hexane solvent. Then, a preference test of the compounds against both male and female beetle was supervised in the Petri dish method. Result of the preference test indicated a repulsion behavior of both female and male beetles. Furthermore, the purified compound increased the repulsion behavior of Lyctus beetle. The hydrocarbon is suggested as a specific compound of female beetle which alters the behaviour of Lyctus beetle.