FIELD ATTRACTION OF COLEOPTERA TO ODORS OF THE WOOD-DECAYING POLYPORES FOMITOPSIS-PINICOLA AND FOMES-FOMENTARIUS

The attraction of beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) to odours of the wood- decaying polypore fungi Fomitopsis pinicola and Fomes fomentarius was studied at one spruce-dominated and one birch-dominated locality in a semi-natural forest in central Sweden. Beetles were caught in window t raps without a bait (control) or baited with chopped, living fruiting bodies of either of the two polypores. The pattern of attraction was a nalyzed for 96 taxa, which were assigned to different categories accor ding to the substrate they utilize. The attraction patterns were compa red with catch data from window traps beneath living fruiting bodies a nd with rearing data. Beetles of the family Cisidae breeding in F. pin icola were strongly attracted to the odour of this fungus. In contrast , the species of a similar cisid guild associated with F. fomentarius was not attracted to any of the fungal odours. Two monophagous species of the anobiid genus Dorcatoma associated with F. pinicola and F. fom entarius respectively, were not significantly attracted to odour host but were caught in large numbers at living fruiting bodies. This aggre gation was probably due to response to attractive pheromones. Knowledg e about the precision in orientation as well as the capacity of disper sal of these insects is considered important for evaluating how they a re affected by forestry practices.