AGGREGATION PHEROMONE OF AUSTRALIAN SAP BEETLE, CARPOPHILUS-DAVIDSONI(COLEOPTERA, NITIDULIDAE)

A male-produced aggregation pheromone was identified for the Australia n sap beetle, Carpophilus davidsoni Dobson (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), by bioassay-guided fractionation of volatiles collected from feeding b eetles. The most abundant components were: (2E,4E,6E)-5-ethyl-3-methyl -2,4,6-nonatriene, (3E,5E,7E)-6-ethyl-4-methyl-3,5,7-decatriene, ,4E,6 E,8E)-3,5,7-trimethyl-2,4,6,8-undecatetraene, and E,8E)-7-ethyl-3,5-di methyl-2,4,6,8-undecatetraene. The relative abundance of these compone nts in collections from individual males feeding on artificial diet wa s 100:7:9:31, respectively. Pheromone production began within several days after males were placed onto diet medium and continued for at lea st 20 weeks. Peak production was >3 mu g total pheromone per male per day. Males in groups of 50-60 emitted less pheromone (the peak level w as 0.09 mu g per beetle per day), and the emissions from groups contai ned relatively little tetraene (proportions of the components listed a bove were 100:7:2:7, respectively). Three additional trienes and one a dditional tetraene were identified in minor amounts; the entire eight- component male-specific blend is qualitatively identical and quantitat ively similar to that of the North American sibling species, C. freema ni Dobson. A synthetic blend of the four major components on rubber se pta, prepared to emit in the same proportions as from individual males , was highly attractive in the field when synergized with fermenting w hole-wheat bred dough. Cross-attraction was observed in the field invo lving the pheromones of C. davidsoni, C. hemipterus (L.), and C. mutil atus Erichson. Potential uses of the pheromones in pest management are discussed.