Journal of Chemical Ecology (2005) 31, 2705-2720

Miklós Tóth, Éva Csonka, Robert J. Bartelt, Allard A. Cossé, Bruce W. Zilkowski, Shin-Etsu Muto and Kenji Mori (2005)
Pheromonal activity of compounds identified from male Phyllotreta cruciferae: Field tests of racemic mixtures, pure enantiomers, and combinations with allyl isothiocyanate
Journal of Chemical Ecology 31 (11), 2705-2720
Abstract: Four himachalene sesquiterpenes and (+)-gamma-cadinene, previously identified as possible pheromone components from males of a North American population of Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), were tested for attractiveness in field trapping experiments in Hungary. A mixture of the four synthetic racemic himachalene derivatives and (+)-gamma-cadinene from a botanical source was slightly attractive to beetles, but much more attractive when blended with the known host-plant-derived attractant allyl isothiocyanate. This result was consistent with a previous study in North America. In tests with optically pure synthetic compounds, a blend of the same himachalene enantiomers found from male beetles was equivalent to the corresponding blend of racemic compounds, whereas a blend of the opposite enantiomers was not active. Through subtraction tests, it was found that the single compound, (6R,7S)-2,2,6,10-tetramethylbicyclo[5.4.0.]undeca-9,11-diene [compound (+)-A in this study], was as active as the whole mixture, suggesting that this compound is the key pheromone component of the European population of P. cruciferae. During field trials, several congeneric species, including P. vittula, P. nemorum, P. nodicornis, and P. ochripes, also were caught, suggesting that the same compound(s) may be relatively widespread as pheromone components in this genus.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Miklós Tóth, Bruce W. Zilkowski

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phyllotreta cruciferae		Hungary