Title: | "Avoidance of nonhost plants by a bark beetle, Pityogenes bidentatus, in a forest of odors" |
Author(s): | Byers JA; Zhang QH; Birgersson G; |
Address: | "Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden. jbyers@wcrl.ars.usda.gov" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00114-004-0520-1 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0028-1042 (Print) 0028-1042 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The bark beetle, Pityogenes bidentatus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), searches in mixed conifer and deciduous forests of northern Europe for suitable branches of its host, Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris). We tested whether odors from several diverse nonhost trees and plants common in the habitat (e.g., mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia; oak, Quercus robur; alder buckthorn, Frangula alnus; blueberry, Vaccinium myrtillus; raspberry, Rubus idaeus; and grass, Deschampsia flexuosa) would reduce the attraction of the bark beetle to traps releasing its aggregation pheromone components in the field. Volatiles from the leaves or bark of each of these plants significantly reduced the attraction of the beetles to their pheromone. Odors collected from these nonhosts and analyzed by GC/MS contained monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and 'green-leaf' alcohols, several of which (e.g., 1-octene-3-ol and beta-caryophyllene) reduced the attraction to pheromone in the field and elicited electroantennographic responses. In the laboratory, reproduction by the beetle was marginal in nonhost Norway spruce, Picea abies, and was absent in the other nonhost trees. Olfactory avoidance of unsuitable nonhosts may have evolved due to advantages in avoiding mistakes during host selection" |
Keywords: | Animals *Avoidance Learning Coleoptera/*pathogenicity Europe Fruit/parasitology *Odorants Pinus/parasitology Plant Leaves/chemistry Plants/*parasitology Quercus/parasitology; |
Notes: | "MedlineByers, John A Zhang, Qing-He Birgersson, Goran eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2004/05/18 Naturwissenschaften. 2004 May; 91(5):215-9. doi: 10.1007/s00114-004-0520-1. Epub 2004 Apr 8" |