The Canadian Entomologist

Table of Contents - June 1979 - Volume 111, Issue 06  

Articles

AGGREGATION PHEROMONE IN THE RUSTY GRAIN BEETLE, CRYPTOLESTES FERRUGINEUS (COLEOPTERA: CUCUJIDAE)1

J.H. Borden, M.G. Dolinski, L. Chong, V. Verigin, H.D. Pierce Jr. and A.C. Oehlschlager2

Abstract

An open arena, airflow olfactometer was developed and used to test the response of adult Cyrptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) to various volatile stimuli. Beetles of mixed age and sex oriented positively upwind to the odor of beetles, frass, pentane extracts of frass, and pentane extracts of Porapak Q-captured volatiles from beetles or frass. Both sexes responded to the odor of beetle populations of mixed sex as well as to the odor of males, indicating that males produce a true population aggregation pheromone Only females responded to the odor of females. C. ferrugineus may utilize the aggregation pheromone in conjunction with fungal odors to locate suitable habitats.

(Revised December 1978)

Footnotes

1 Research supported by: Western Grain Elevator Association, Winnipeg, Manitoba; National Research Council, Canada, Cooperative Grant No. A0243 and Operating Grant Nos. A3881 and A3706; and Agriculture Canada Operating Grant No. 7062.

2 Respectively: Professor, Pestology Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., V5A–1S6; Supervisor, Entomology, Alberta Agriculture, Edmonton, Alberta; Research Technician, Pestology Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, SFU; and Graduate Student, Research Associate and Professor, Department of Chemistry, SFU.

Related Content