| Field studies involving baited Japanese beetle traps were conducted in Ontario white pine seed orchards to determine the attractiveness of host cone volatiles and beetle-produced compounds to the white pine cone beetle, Conophthorus coniperda (Schwarz), the most destructive cone and seed pest of eastern white pine, Pinus strobus L. A new attractant was identified: the host cone volatile, limonene. Limonene acts synergistically when added to the female-produced sex pheromone, pityol. Traps baited with pityol + S-(-)-limonene were significantly greater than pityol + (-)-alpha-pinene for both sexes of C. coniperda . Trap catches were higher with increasing release rates of S-(-)-limonene. The enantiomers of limonene showed equivalent efficacy on mean trap catch. (-)-beta-Pinene was found to be a deterrent to both sexes, and (-)-alpha-pinene to have no effect on female response when added to pityol or pityol + S-(-)-limonene. Beetle-produced compounds, trans-verbenol, trans-pinocarveol and myrtenol, were not attractive to C. coniperda. |
