AGGREGATION OF SPRUCE BEETLES (COLEOPTERA) TO SEUDENOL AND REPRESSION OF ATTRACTION BY METHYLCYCLOHEXENONE IN ALASKA

Abstract

AbstractIn tests conducted on the Kenai National Moose Range, Alaska, seudenol and α-pinene attracted more spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) than did frontalin and α-pinene, the best previously reported synthetic attractant. Addition of methylcyclohexenone (MCH) to sticky traps baited with spruce logs (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss.) infested with 20 female spruce beetles or to traps treated with seudenol and α-pinene reduced the number of spruce beetles caught by 87% and 99%, respectively. MCH appears to have similar repressive effect on the attraction of spruce beetle populations that differ in their geographic locations and hosts. A total of 179 other scolytids, representing 8 genera and 10 species, were caught by traps; greatest numbers were attracted to treatments containing trans-verbenol and uninfested spruce log sections. Scierus pubescens (Swaine) was recorded from Alaska for the first time. No members of Thanasimus species were caught although they have been consistently present in abundance in similar tests elsewhere.