Journal of Insect Behavior (2008) 21, 101-110

Fernando Ibeas, Julio J. Díez and Juan A. Pajares (2008)
Olfactory sex attraction and mating behaviour in the pine sawyer Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Journal of Insect Behavior 21 (3), 101-110
Abstract: The pine sawyer Monochamus galloprovincialis Olivier (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a vector of the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle. Male and females of this species have a kairomonal attraction to host volatiles and Ips semiochemicals. Once on the host tree, males and females copulate and oviposition occurs. Bioassays using Y-tube olfactometry revealed that females were attracted to volatile compounds produced by males, but not to volatiles produced by females. However, immature males did not seem to release attractants for mature females and immature females did not show any attraction for mature males. A experiment designed to know about mating behaviour in this specie revealed that most of the males encountered females while they were walking. In all pairs both sexes contacted with antennae before copulation, however, in some occasions copulation did not proceed just after antennal contact. On the contrary, in all pairs observed, the male licked the elytra of the female with his mouth palpi just before copulation (licking); immediately afterwards, the male grabbed the female with his forelegs and mounted her suggesting a chemically mediated mate recognition by males.
(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): Julio Diez, Juan A. Pajares

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Monochamus galloprovincialis