Hy. Fadamiro et al., UPWIND FLIGHT OF PROSTEPHANUS-TRUNCATUS IS MEDIATED BY AGGREGATION PHEROMONE BUT NOT FOOD VOLATILES, Journal of Stored Products Research, 34(2-3), 1998, pp. 151-158
Flight bioassays were carried out to investigate the response of Prost
ephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) to maize volatiles
in comparison to the male-produced aggregation pheromone. Upwind attr
action of flying P. truncatus is mediated by the male-produced aggrega
tion pheromone. In contrast, beetles showed no response to maize grain
s or volatiles, and no interactions between aggregation pheromone and
maize volatiles were recorded. This absence of upwind flight to food v
olatiles, or any synergism between pheromone and food volatiles sugges
ts that the male-produced aggregation pheromone is the only known long
-range semiochemical used by P. truncatus for dispersal and host-selec
tion. These results are in contrast with those on several other stored
-product species, and suggest that P. truncatus may not use maize vola
tiles as long-range host finding kairomones in nature. We propose a hy
pothesis for the process of dispersal and host colonisation by P. trun
catus. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.