A comparison of trap type and height for capturing cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera)

Wood-boring beetles in the family Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) play important roles in many forest ecosystems. However, increasing numbers of invasive cerambycid species are transported to new countries by global commerce and threaten forest health in the United States and worldwide. Our goal was to identify effective detection tools for a broad array of cerambycid species by testing some known cerambycid attractants and a pheromone in different trap designs placed across a range of habitats. We compared numbers and species richness of cerambycid beetles captured with cross-vane panel traps and 12-unit Lindgren multiple-funnel traps, placed either at ground level (1.5 m high) or canopy level (approximately 3-10 m high), at eight sites classified as either residential, industrial, deciduous forest, or conifer forest. We captured 3,723 beetles representing 72 cerambycid species from 10 June to 15 July 2010. Species richness was highest for the subfamilies Cerambycinae and Lamiinae, which accounted for 33 and 46% of all species captured, respectively. Overall, the cross-vane panel traps captured approximately 1.5 times more beetles than funnel traps. Twenty-one species were captured exclusively in traps at one height, either in the canopy or at ground level. More species were captured in hardwood sites (59 species) where a greater diversity of host material was available than in conifer (34 species), residential (41 species), or industrial (49) sites. Low numbers of beetles (n < 5) were recorded for 28 of the beetle species. The number of species captured per week ranged from 49 species on 21 June to 37 species on 12 July. Cross-vane panel traps installed across a vertical gradient should maximize the number of cerambycid species captured.     

天牛性信息素、引诱植物和植物性引诱剂的研究与应用

由于目前所拥有的各种天牛防治方法都难以获得理想的防治效果,研发新型天牛控制技术势在必行。其中利用引诱剂是最具潜力的研究领域之一。对天牛的性信息素、引诱植物和植物性引诱剂3个方面的研究及应用作了综述。天牛雌、雄成虫均可释放性信息素进行两性间的通讯联系。天牛性信息素的分泌部位因天牛种类不同而存在着差异。雄、雌成虫触角上均有感受性信息素的感受器,但报道较多的是雄虫感受器。迄今已鉴定出13种天牛性信息素的化学结构。一般而言,天牛成虫的嗜食树种,对天牛具有较强的引诱作用,可作为诱饵树种使用。寄主植物的某些挥发性物质对天牛成虫也有独特的引诱效果。除此之外,对天牛性信息素、引诱植物和植物性引诱剂研究与应用中存在的困难也进行了讨论,并对它们的应用前景做了展望。     

Attraction of the cerambycid beetles Tetropium gabrieli,T. castaneum and T. fuscum to pheromones and host tree volatiles

1. Tetropium gabrieli is native to the European Alps where it breeds in European larch and may be an important pest during drought periods by killing trees. It has spread to larch plantations in several European countries including Sweden.
2. In trapping studies conducted in Sweden, we tested whether T. gabrieli was attracted to E-fuscumol, E,Z-fuscumol, E,Z-fuscumol acetate and the host volatile combination of α-pinene plus ethanol. We also compared its response with those of the native congeners, T. fuscum and T. castaneum.
3. All three Tetropium species were caught in significantly higher numbers in traps baited with E-fuscumol plus host volatiles than in traps baited with host volatiles alone or in unbaited traps.
4. There was no difference in catch of any Tetropium species between traps baited with E-fuscumol plus host volatiles versus traps baited with E,Z-fuscumol plus host volatiles, but the latter treatment caught more T. fuscum and T. castaneum than did E,Z-fuscumol acetate plus host volatiles.
5. The addition of E-fuscumol to host volatile-baited traps significantly reduced mean catch of T. gabrieli, significantly increased mean catch of T. castaneum, and had no significant effect on catch of T. fuscum. Mean catch of all three species was significantly greater in traps baited with E-fuscumol alone than in traps baited with host volatiles alone.
6. All three species were caught from May to August. The median date of captures was about 2 weeks earlier for T. fuscum compared with the other two species.

     

Efficacy of Fluon conditioning for capturing cerambycid beetles in different trap designs and persistence on panel traps over time

Fluon PTFE is a fluoropolymer dispersion applied as a surface conditioner to cross-vane panel traps to enhance trap efficiency for cerambycid beetles. We describe the results of three experiments to further optimize cerambycid traps of different designs and to test the effect of Fluon over time. We tested Fluon with Lindgren funnel and panel traps fitted with either wet or dry collection cups on catches of cerambycid beetles and how the effect of Fluon on panel traps persisted. Fluon-treated funnel traps with wet collection cups captured approximately 6x more beetles than the untreated funnel traps with wet collection cups. Untreated funnel traps with dry collection cups did not capture any beetles; however, Fluon-treated funnel traps with dry collection cups captured an average of four beetles per trap. Fluon-treated panel traps with wet collection cups captured approximately 9x more beetles than untreated panel traps with wet collection cups. Fluon-treated panel traps with dry collection cups captured approximately 11x more beetles than untreated panel traps with dry collection cups. The effect of Fluon on capturing cerambycid beetles did not decline after use in one or two field seasons. There was no significant difference in the number of beetles captured in freshly treated panel traps compared with traps that had been used for 1 or 2 yr. Fluon-treated traps captured nine species that were not captured in untreated traps. Conditioning both Lindgren funnel and panel traps with Fluon enhances the efficacy and sensitivity of traps deployed to detect exotic cerambycid species, or for monitoring threatened species at low population densities.     

Use of infochemicals to attract carrion beetles into pitfall traps

When the bodies of small vertebrates start to decay shortly after death, a number of organosulfur compounds are produced, including methanethiol, dimethylsulfide (DMS), dimethyldisulfide (DMDS), dimethyltrisulfide (DMTS), and S-methyl thioacetate. These molecules appear to attract various necrophagous animals. We tested the roles of DMS, DMDS, and DMTS (in order of decreasing volatility) as attractants of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorinae) in a field experiment in an agricultural landscape in southern Bohemia, Czech Republic. We collected a total of 362 adult Nicrophorus vespillo (L.) that were attracted to 220 baited pitfall traps in a 3-day experiment. Sets of traps baited with DMTS were more successful in catching N. vespillo than sets baited with a blank. Traps containing DMDS had higher trapping success than traps containing DMS. In addition, trapping success strongly increased using DMTS in the presence of DMDS but not of DMS, suggesting a synergistic effect of DMDS and DMTS. We observed similar patterns between males and females in response to the infochemicals tested.     

桃园中食心虫单一性诱芯及其复合配置的诱蛾效率比较

【目的】明确两种食心虫性诱芯复合配置的诱蛾效果,提高其监测或防治效率及其绿色环保化水平,为果树生产中食心虫的高效监测和绿色防控提供科学依据。【方法】田间系统调查研究了梨小食心虫(以下简称"梨小")、桃小食心虫(以下简称"桃小")单一性诱芯及其复合配置3种处理的诱蛾效率,并利用"Y"型嗅觉仪比较研究了其间梨小雄蛾趋向性的差异。【结果】(1)梨小和桃小性单一诱芯及其复合配置对梨小均具有引诱作用,其诱蛾总量依次为8 238.33、1 451.67、8 321.67头/诱捕器,其中第1、2、3代时复合配置诱蛾量最大,越冬代和第4代时梨小单一性诱芯诱蛾量最大,而各世代桃小单一性诱芯诱蛾量均最低。梨小单一性诱芯及其复合配置均监测到5个梨小发生高峰,且峰期基本一致,但复合配置的峰日诱蛾量均较高;桃小单一性诱芯仅监测到3个梨小发生高峰,且峰日诱蛾量亦较低。(2)桃小单一性诱芯及其复合配置对桃小均具有引诱作用,其诱蛾总量依次为4.00、2.33头/诱捕器,而梨小单一性诱芯对桃小无引诱作用。(3)"Y"型嗅觉仪研究发现,梨小食心虫对梨小和桃小各单一性诱芯及其复合配置均具有趋向作用,其趋向率依次为50.67%、8.67%、53.33%。【结论】梨小和桃小单一性诱芯复合配置对梨小诱捕量有微增效作用,而对桃小诱捕量有一定干扰作用,但影响均不显著。据此,该复合配置可用于桃园中梨小和桃小的监测与防控。     

Efficacy of two synthetic food-odor lures for Mexican fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) is determined by trap type

Sterile mass-reared Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), were trapped in a citrus orchard by using multilure traps and cylindrical sticky traps baited with Advanced Pheromone Technologies Anastrepha fruit fly (AFF) lures or Suterra BioLure two-component (ammonium acetate and putrescine) MFF lures (BioLures). The cylinder trap/AFF lure combination was the best trap over the first 6 wk, the multilure trap/BioLure combination was best during weeks 6-12, and the multilure trap/AFF lure combination was best during the last 6 wk. The multilure trap/BioLure combination was best overall by 36% over the cylinder trap/AFF lure combination, and 57% over the multilure trap/AFF lure combination. Cylinder traps with BioLures were the least effective trap/lure combination throughout the experiment, capturing only half as many flies as cylinder traps with AFF lures. Captures with cylinder traps baited with either lure and multilure traps with BioLures were female biased. For the most part, both lures remained highly attractive and emitted detectable amounts of attractive components under hot field conditions for the duration of the 18-wk experiment. Total emission of ammonia was 4 times greater and 1-pyrroline at least 10 times greater from AFF lures compared with BioLures. Correlations of trap and lure performance with ammonia emission and weather were determined, but no conclusions were possible. Results indicate that BioLures would be the lure of choice in multilure or other McPhail-type traps and AFF lures would be superior with most sticky traps or kill stations that attract flies to outer (not enclosed) surfaces.     

几种抗氧化剂对单萜烯稳定性及其对松墨天牛诱捕效果的影响

[目的]评价6种抗氧化剂对单萜烯类化合物稳定性的影响及其在野外条件下单萜烯对松墨天牛Monochamus alternatus Hope成虫的诱杀效果.[方法]采用水浴锅加热加速氧化法,以气相色谱法测定含量,研究不同抗氧化剂对α-蒎烯、β-蒎烯和月桂烯稳定性的影响,并进行林间松墨天牛的诱捕试验.[结果]在供试的6种抗氧化剂中,TBHQ对单萜烯的保护效果最显著(P＜0.05).浓度对单萜烯的保护效果影响显著(F=6.631,P=0.007),其中浓度为0.03％的保护效果最显著(P＜0.05).抗氧化剂对α-蒎烯、β-蒎烯和月桂烯的保护效果存在显著差别(F=3.231,P=0.031),抗氧化剂对β-蒎烯的保护效果最显著(P＜0.05).野外诱捕实验表明添加抗氧化剂0.03％TBHQ的单萜烯(α-蒎烯:β-蒎烯:月桂烯=50:40:10)对松墨天牛野外诱捕持效期明显延长,持效期延长不少于30d.[结论]添加抗氧化剂可保护单萜烯,维持单萜烯在野外条件下的稳定性,保持引诱剂成分的稳定性与持效性,延长单萜烯类昆虫引诱剂在野外诱捕害虫的持效期.     

Generation of a polyclonal antibody that simultaneously detects multiple Ser/Thr protein kinases

In order to obtain a polyclonal antibody that recognizes various protein kinases, a peptide corresponding to an amino acid sequence of a highly conserved subdomain (subdomain VIB) of the protein kinase family was synthesized and used for immunization. When the synthetic peptide, CVVHRDLKPENLLLAS, was coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and used to immunize rabbits, polyclonal antibodies that detected multiple protein kinases on a Western blot were generated. One of the antibodies obtained, KI98, detected a variety of purified Ser/Thr protein kinases, such as calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II), calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaM-kinase IV), cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, and Erk2. The antibody detected as low as 0.2 ng of protein kinases blotted onto a nitrocellulose membrane by dot-immunobinding assay. When a rat brain extract was analyzed with this antibody, various protein kinases were simultaneously detected. The present anti-peptide antibody with a broad spectrum of cross-reactivity to multiple protein kinases may be a powerful tool for comprehensive analysis focused on protein kinases.     

Use of carbon dioxide and natural or synthetic aggregation-attachment pheromone of the bont tick,Amblyomma hebraeum,to attract and trap unfed adults in the field

It was determined previously that unfed adults ofAmblyomma hebraeum become active in response to carbon dioxide but are not attracted by it. We have now shown in field experiments that males and females which are activated by carbon dioxide are attracted to the aggregation-attachment pheromone produced by males after a period of feeding on the host. Unfed adults were attracted too-nitrophenol, a component of the aggregation-attachment pheromone ofAmblyomma variegatum, pre-fed males ofA. hebraeum, and extracts of such males. Live males were more attractive than the extracts which, in turn, were more attractive thano-nitrophenol. The ticks were attracted to sources ofo-nitrophenol from as far away as 11 m in 90 min. Simple traps, baited with carbon dioxide and aggregation-attachment pheromone (from pre-fed males or extracts of pre-fed males), were used to capture unfed adults that had been released in the field. The response of unfed adults to carbon dioxide and the aggregation-attachment pheromone presents an obvious host-location mechanism and a means for the ticks to discriminate between suitable hosts (those with males already attached) and potentially unsuitable hosts (those with no males attached).     

Kairomonal range of generalist predators in specialized habitats: responses to multiple phloeophagous species emitting pheromones vs. host odors

We evaluated responses of the predominant predators of pheromone-producing bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to chemical cues associated with other phloeophagous species that colonize the same trees. This study considered the range of chemical signals exploited by a category of predators that may be viewed either as specialists, because they feed almost exclusively within trees killed by bark beetles, or as generalists, because they feed on a diverse fauna of primary and secondary insects within this habitat. It also evaluated one aspect of a broader model of predator-prey coevolution, that proposes altered semiochemistry as a source of partial escape from predators that exploit kairomones. The predators, Thanasimus dubius (F.) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) and Platysoma cylindrica (Paykull) (Coleoptera: Histeridae), were attracted to cues associated with feeding on bark-phloem disks by two scolytids that produce adult pheromones, Ips pini (Say) and Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff). These predators were not attracted to beetles that feed on lower stems or roots and are not known to produce adult pheromones,Dendroctonus valens LeConte, Hylastes porculus Erickson (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), and Hylobius pales (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The predator Tenebroides collaris (Sturm) (Coleoptera: Trogositidae) was attracted to I. pini and I. grandicollis, and also to D. valens, H. porculus, and H. pales. Ips pini was attracted to conspecifics only, but I. grandicollis was attracted both to its conspecifics and to volatiles associated with feeding lower stem and root insects. Lower stem and root insects were not or only weakly attracted to cues associated with their conspecifics. These results are consistent with a dynamic coevolved interaction between T. dubius and P. cylindrica and Ips spp.     

Responses of Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis to odorants that attract haematophagous insects

Carbon dioxide (CO₂), 1‐octen‐3‐ol, acetone, ammonium hydroxide, L‐lactic‐acid, dimethyl trisulphide and isobutyric acid were tested as attractants for two tick species, Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae), in dose–response bioassays using Y‐tube olfactometers. Only CO₂, acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and ammonium hydroxide elicited significant preferences from adult A. americanum, and only CO₂ was attractive to adult D. variabilis. Acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and ammonium hydroxide were separately evaluated at three doses against CO₂ (from dry ice) at a field site supporting a natural population of A. americanum nymphs and adults. Carbon dioxide consistently attracted the highest number of host‐seeking ticks. However, for the first time, acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and ammonium hydroxide were shown to attract high numbers of A. americanum. Further research is needed to determine the utility of these semiochemicals as attractants in tick surveillance and area‐wide management programmes.     

The response of cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to long‐term fire frequency regimes in subtropical eucalypt forest

Fire has a varied influence on plant and animal species through direct (e.g. fire‐induced mortality) and indirect (e.g. modification of habitat) effects. Our understanding of the influence of fire regime on invertebrates and their response to fire‐induced modifications to habitat is poor. We aimed to determine the response of a beetle family (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to varying fire treatments and hypothesised that the abundance of cerambycid beetles is influenced by fire frequency due to modifications in habitat associated with the fire treatments. Arthropods were sampled across 3 months in annually and triennially burnt areas (treatments starting in 1952 and 1973 respectively), an area unburnt since 1946, and a former unburnt treatment, burnt by wildfire in 2006. Eleven different cerambycid taxa were collected using flight intercept panel traps, dominated by three species (Ipomoria tillides, Adrium sp. and Bethelium signiferum) which made up 99% of individuals collected. Over the sampling period the long unburnt treatment had significantly lower species richness than the triennial and wildfire treatments. Cerambycid abundance was significantly higher in the triennially burnt treatment than in all other fire treatments. Ipomoria tillides was more abundant in both frequently burnt treatments, Adrium sp. was more common in triennially burnt areas, whereas B. signiferum, was more common in the wildfire affected treatment. Some, but not all, cerambycid beetles were more common in areas with a more open understorey (i.e. resulting from frequent burning), and lower tree basal area, as this likely influences their ability to fly easily between food sources. Cerambycid abundance was positively related to the volume of coarse woody debris and healthy tree crowns. Cerambycid beetles were clearly influenced by historic fire regime, suggesting that changes in fire regime can potentially have a profound influence on arthropod assemblages, and subsequent influences on ecosystem processes, which are currently poorly understood.     

Ability of stress‐related volatiles to attract and induce attacks by Xylosandrus germanus and other ambrosia beetles

• 1 Xylosandrus germanus typically colonizes physiologically‐stressed deciduous hosts but it is increasingly being recognized as a key pest of ornamental nursery stock. We tested the attractiveness of common plant stress‐related volatiles to ambrosia beetles occupying the nursery agroecosystem, as well as their ability to induce attacks on selected trees. Experiments were conducted in Ohio, U.S.A.
• 2 Stress volatile attractiveness was first assessed by positioning traps baited with acetaldehyde, acetone, ethanol and methanol in ornamental nurseries. Cumulative trap counts confirmed that ethanol was the most attractive stress‐related volatile to X. germanus. Methanol‐baited traps were slightly attractive to X. germanus, whereas traps baited with acetaldehyde and acetone were not attractive to any ambrosia beetle.
• 3 A series of tree injection experiments were also conducted to determine the ability of these volatiles to induce attacks by ambrosia beetles under field conditions. Injection of ethanol into Magnolia virginiana induced the largest number of attacks, whereas injection of acetaldehyde induced more attacks than methanol or acetone. Xylosandrus germanus was the most predominant species emerging from M. virginiana injected with each of the stress‐related volatiles. No attacks by wood‐boring beetles were observed on water injected or uninjected control trees.
• 4 Solid‐phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry confirmed the emission of acetaldehyde, acetone, ethanol and methanol after their injection into M. virginiana.
• 5 Xylosandrus germanus has an efficient olfactory‐based mechanism for differentiating among host volatile cues. Injecting select trees with stress‐related volatiles, particularly ethanol, shows promise as a trap tree strategy for X. germanus and other ambrosia beetles.

     

Comparison of trap designs for use with aggregation pheromone and synthetic co-attractant in a user-friendly attract and kill system to control Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Abstract  Three field experiments were conducted in stone fruit orchards in the Goulburn Valley, northern Victoria, Australia to identify a user-friendly trap for use in attract and kill stations for control of Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). A funnel trap design was compared with two types of delta trap in one experiment and two types of Lucitrap in another experiment. All traps were baited with synthetic co-attractant and synthetic pheromone. The funnel trap was the most effective type of trap tested. The funnel traps caught significantly more beetles than either the delta traps with bio-attractant or delta traps wrapped with insecticide impregnated banana wrap. No difference was observed between catches in either delta trap design. Lucitraps without covers caught significantly more beetles than Lucitraps with covers but funnel traps caught significantly more beetles than either type of Lucitrap. Beetle numbers caught in the funnel traps were three to five times higher than in Lucitrap. The use of funnel traps in attract and kill stations to protect stone fruit crops by suppressing the Carpophilus spp. population gave superior control to 'grower normal practice of spraying insecticides' both in terms of Carpophilus spp. numbers and in terms of reduction in percentage of fruit damaged.     

Fitting multiple trajectories simultaneously to a model of inducible enzyme synthesis

The iterative scheme described by Milstein [6] is used to estimate the rate constants of a model describing an inducible enzyme system. The model was formulated by Heinmets [5], and was mathematically analyzed by Roth and Roth [9] using Bellman's quasilinearization technique. The method used in this article makes use of multiple trajectories of the system to obtain a set of parameters which fit the data of all trajectories simultaneously. A comparison of the numerical results is presented. The data used in the calculations were generated in a similar way to that of Roth and Roth. However, we introduce into each datum 5% noise from a random number generator uniformly distributed [0,1].     

Possible use of synthetic aggregation pheromones to control stinkbug Plautia stali in kaki persimmon orchards

• 1 The brown‐winged green stinkbug Plautia stali Scott (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is the most serious pest of all noxious stinkbugs in various orchards in Japan. An area‐wide integrated pest management programme using the species‐specific aggregation pheromone is desirable to control P. stali because nonspecific insecticides may kill arthropod natural enemies and induce the resurgence of other endemic pests.
• 2 The traditional mass‐trapping method is not expected to be effective as a result of huge migrations from cypress forests. Therefore, we chose an ‘attract‐and‐kill’ strategy of intensively installing poisonous eggplants with a synthetic aggregation pheromone lure as enclosures for the target orchards.
• 3 We found no overall control effect of the installation of poisonous eggplants, although regional differences were observed, which might originate from topological configurations or the distance from the source population in cypress forests.
• 4 The poisonous eggplants with an aggregation‐pheromone lure, however, changed the spatial distribution of fruit damage, appearing to induce the majority of the damage within a 100‐m range of the poisonous eggplants. Some damage, although at a low level, was found in regions 100–200 m away from the poisonous eggplants.
• 5 We postulate that such low‐damage regions were created because the majority of the bugs dispersed from the centre of the orchards to the areas with poisonous eggplants. The present study, in which the spatial scale of the damage spillover was estimated at approximately 150 m, has important implications for future strategies of attract‐and‐kill and possibly push–pull.

     

An altered method of feeding RNAi that knocks down multiple genes simultaneously in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

In reverse genetics, RNA interference (RNAi) which is substitutable for gene-disruption, is an outstanding method for knockdown of a gene's function. In Caenorhabditis elegans, feeding RNAi is most convenient, but this RNAi is not suitable for knockdown of multiple genes. Hence, we attempted to establish an efficient method of feeding RNAi for multiple knockdown. We produced bacteria yielding three distinct double-stranded RNAs bound to one another, and fed those bacteria to C. elegans. Quantitative RT-PCR and observation of phenotypes indicated that our method is much more efficient than the traditional one. Our method is useful for investigating genes' functions in C. elegans.