GEOGRAPHIC AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SEMIOCHEMICALS IN EMERGING ADULTSOUTHERN PINE-BEETLE (COLEOPTERA, SCOLYTIDAE)

Six semiochemicals, important in the communication system of southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, were isolated from hin dguts of individual beetles from Texas, South Carolina, and North Caro lina. Females had mole cis-verbenol (cV) and trans-verbenol (tV) than males, but males contained much more verbenone (V). Both sexes had the same amounts of frontalin (F), endo-brevicomin (eB), and alpha-pinene (alpha P). Geographic differences were found in quantities of tV and V in both sexes, and in alpha P and F in males only. Males produced pr edominantly (+)-cV and (+)-V and (-)-F, (-)-eB, and (-)-V. The (+) ena ntiomer of alpha P predominated in both sexes, but the percentage of ( +)-alpha P was generally lower than that released from beetle-infested logs from the same areas. Geographic differences in enantiomeric comp osition of tV and V were significant in males, and of eB in females. B ehavioral implications of tile results are discussed.