Abstract
Synthetic corn volatiles and selected analogs were tested in commercial corn fields for attractiveness to feral northern (NCR,Diabrotica barberi) and western corn rootworm beetles (WCR,D. virgifera virgifera). Two new attractants, geranylacetone and α-terpineol, were identified among corn terpenes and compared at four stages in crop development with the phenylpropanoid standards cinnamyl alcohol and 4-methoxy-cinnamaldehyde, with each component at 30 mg/trap. Dose-response relationships (0.1–100 mg/trap) and efficacy of two-component blends (30 mg/component) were also examined. More beetles were captured on traps baited with (+)- than (−)-α-terpineol, but the difference was statistically significant only for WCR. Captures with geranylacetone or (+)-α-terpineol were directly proportional to the logarithm of the attractant dose. WCR females were attracted to as little as 0.1 mg of either compound. WCR males required ≥ 1.0 mg of (+)-α-terpineol and were not attracted to geranylacetone at any dose. NCR required ≥0.3 mg of either attractant and showed less marked response differences between the sexes than did WCR. Geranylacetone and cinnamyl alcohol were equally effective attractants, whereas (+)-α-terpineol was significantly less attractive to WCR but more attractive to NCR than was 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde. Corn terpenes and phenylpropanoid standards produced similar seasonal response patterns in that captures tended to rise in each case as the season progressed, except during silking when no compound was attractive. Mixing corn terpenes or phenylpropanoid standards synergized responses of WCR females, but (+)-α-terpineol suppressed attraction of NCR females to geranylacetone.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen, J. F. 1987. Composition of the floral odor ofCucurbita maxima Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae).J. Agric. Food Chem. 35:60–62.
Andersen, J. F., andMetcalf, R. L. 1986. Identification of a volatile attractant forDiabrotica andAcalymma spp. from blossoms ofCucurbita maxima Duchesne.J. Chem. Ecol. 12:687–699.
Andersen, J. F., andMetcalf, R. L. 1987. Factors influencing distribution ofDiabrotica spp. in blossoms of cultivatedCucurbita spp.J. Chem. Ecol. 13:681–699.
Bjostad, L. B., andHibbard, B. E. 1992. 6-Methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone: A semiochemical for host location by western corn rootworm larvae.J. Chem. Ecol. 18:931–944.
Boetel, M. A., Walgenbach, D. D., Hein, G. L., Fuller, B. W., andGray, M. E. 1992. Oviposition site selection of the northern corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).J. Econ. Entomol. 85:246–249.
Branson, T. F., andKrysan, J. L. (1981). Feeding and oviposition behavior and life cycle strategies ofDiabrotica: An evolutionary view with implications for pest management.Environ. Entomol. 10:826–831.
Brattsten, L. B. (1983). Cytochrome P-450 involvement in the interactions between plant terpenes and insect herbivores, pp. 173–195,in P. A. Hedin (ed.). Plant Resistance to Insects. ACS Symposium Series 208, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.
Buttery, R. G., andLing, L. C. (1984). Corn leaf volatiles: Identification using Tenax trapping for possible insect attractants.J. Agric. Food Chem. 32:1104–1106.
Buttery, R. G., Ling, L. C., andChan, B. G. 1978. Volatiles of corn kernels and husks: Possible corn ear worm attractants.J. Agric. Food Chem. 26:866–869.
Buttery, R. G., Ling, L. C., andTeranishi, R. (1980). Volatiles of corn tassels: Possible corn ear worm attractants.J. Agric. Food Chem. 28:771–774.
Cantelo, W. W., andJacobson, M. 1979. Corn silk volatiles attract many pest species of moths.J. Environ. Sci. Health A14:695–707.
Chou, J., andMullin, C. A. (1993. Distribution and antifeedant associations of sesquiterpene lactones in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) on western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte).J. Chem. Ecol. 19:1439–1452.
Cinereski, J. E., andChiang, H. C. (1968). The pattern of movements of adults of the northern corn rootworm inside and outside of corn fields.J. Econ. Entomol. 61:1531–1536.
Coats, J. R., Karr, L. L., andDrewes, C. D. (1991). Toxicity and neurotoxic effects of monoterpenoids in insects and earthworms, pp. 305–316,in P. A. Hedin (ed.). Naturally Occurring Pest Bioregulators. ACS Symposium Series 449, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.
Dicke, M. (1994). Local and systemic production of volatile herbivore-induced terpenoids: Their role in plant-carnivore mutualism.J. Plant Physiol. 143:465–472.
Etievant, P. X., Azar, M., Pham-Delegue, M. H., andMasson, C. J. (1984). Isolation and identification of volatile constituents of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.)J. Agric. Food Chem. 32:503–509.
Flath, R. A., Forrey, R. R., John, J. O., andChan, B. G. (1978). Volatile components of corn silk (Zea mays L.): possibleHeliothis zea (Boddie) attractants.J. Agric. Food Chem. 26:1290–1293.
Flath, R. A., Mon, T. R., Lorenz, G., Whitten, C. J., andMackley, J. W. 1983. Volatile components ofAcacia sp. blossoms.J. Agric Food Chem. 31:1167–1170.
Guss, P. L. (1976). The sex pheromone of the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera).Environ. Entomol. 5:219–223.
Hammack, L., andHesler, L. S. 1995. Seasonal response to phenylpropanoid attractants by northern corn rootworm beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 68:169–177.
Hesler, L. S., Lance, D. R., andSutter, G. R. (1994). Attractancy of volatile non-pheromonal semiochemicals to northern corn rootworm beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in eastern South Dakota.J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 67:186–192.
Hibbard, B. E., Peairs, F. B., Pilcher, S. D., Schroeder, M. E., Jewett, D. K., andBjostad, L. B. (1995). Germinating corn extracts and 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone: Western corn root-worm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larval attractants evaluated with soil insecticides.J. Econ. Entomol. 88:716–724.
Knudsen, J. T., Tollsten, L., andBergström, L. G. (1993). Floral scents — a checklist of volatile compounds isolated by head-space techniques.Phytochemistry 33:253–280.
Krysan, J. L., andBranson, T. F. 1983. Biology, ecology, and distribution ofDiabrotica, pp. 144–150,in D. T. Gordon, J. K. Knoke, L. R. Nault, and R. M. Ritter (eds.). Proceedings, International Maize Virus Disease Colloquium and Workshop, Wooster, Ohio.
Lampman, R. L., andMetcalf, R. L. (1987) Multicomponent kairomonal lures for southern and western corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae:Diabrotica spp.).J. Econ. Entomol. 80:1137–1142.
Lampman, R. L., andMetcalf, R. L. (1988). The comparative response ofDiabrotica species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to volatile attractants.Environ. Entomol. 17:644–648.
Lampman, R. L., Metcalf, R. L., andAndersen, J. F. 1987. Semiochemical attractants ofDiabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, southern corn rootworm, andDiabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, the western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).J. Chem. Ecol. 13:959–975.
Lance, D. R., andElliott, N. C. (1991). Seasonal responses of corn rootworm beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to non-pheromonal attractants.J. Entomol. Sci. 26:188–196.
Levine, E., andOloumi-Sadeghi, H. 1991. Management of diabroticite rootworms in corn.Annu. Rev. Entomol. 36:229–255.
Ludwig, K. A., andHill, R. E. (1975). Comparison of gut contents of adult western and northern corn rootworms in northeast Nebraska.Environ. Entomol. 4:435–438.
McGovern, T. P., andLadd, T. L., Jr. 1990. Attractants for the northern corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): Alkyl- and alkenylphenols.J. Econ. Entomol. 83:1316–1320.
Metcalf, R. L. 1986. Foreword, pp. vii-xv,in J. L. Krysan and T. A. Miller (eds.). Methods for the Study of PestDiabrotica. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Metcalf, R. L., andLampman, R. L. 1989. Cinnamyl alcohol and analogs as attractants for corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).J. Econ. Entomol. 82:1620–1625.
Metcalf, R. L., andLampman, R. L. 1991. Evolution of diabroticite rootworm beetle (Chrysomelidae) receptors forCucurbita blossom volatiles.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88:1869–1872.
Metcalf, R. L., andMetcalf, E. R. 1992. Plant Kairomones in Insect Ecology and Control. Contemporary Topics in Entomology I. Chapman and Hall, New York.
Metcalf, R. L., Metcalf, R. A., andRhodes, A. M. 1980. Cucurbitacins as kairomones for diabroticite beetles.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77:3769–3772.
Metcalf, R. L., Lampman, R. L., andDeem-Dickson, L. (1995). Indole as an olfactory synergist for volatile kairomones for diabroticite beetles.J. Chem. Ecol. 21:1149–1162.
Prystupa, B., Ellis, C. R., andTeal, P. E. A. 1988. Attraction of adultDiabrotica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to corn silks and analysis of the host-finding response.J. Chem. Ecol. 14:635–651.
Ritchie, S. W., Hanway, J. J., andBenson, G. O. 1992. How a corn plant develops. Iowa Cooperative Extension Service Special Report No. 48, Ames, Iowa.
SASInstitute. 1988a. SAS Procedures Guide, Release 6.03 Edition, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina.
SASInstitute. 1988b. SAS/STAT User's Guide, Release 6.03 Edition, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina.
Siegfried, B. D., andMullin, C. A. (1990). Effects of alternative host plants on longevity, oviposition, and emergence of western and northern corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).Environ. Entomol. 19:474–480.
Sutter, G. R., andLance, D. R. 1991. New strategies for reducing insecticide use in the corn belt, pp. 231–249,in B. J. Rice (ed.). Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education in the Field. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
Takabayashi, J., Takahashi, S., Dicke, M., andPosthumus, M. A. 1995. Developmental stage of herbivorePseudaletia separata affects production of herbivore-induced synomone by corn plants.J. Chem. Ecol. 21:273–287.
Thompson, A. C., Hedin, P. A., Gueldner, R. C., andDavis, F. M. (1974). Corn bud essential oil.Phytochemistry 13:2029–2032.
Turlings, T. C. J., McCall, P. J., Alborn, H. T., andTumlinson, J. H. 1993. An elicitor in caterpillar oral secretions that induces corn seedlings to emit chemical signals attractive to parasitic wasps.J. Chem. Ecol. 19:411–425.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Mention of a proprietary product or company name does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hammack, L. Corn volatiles as attractants for northern and western corn rootworm beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae:Diabrotica spp.). J Chem Ecol 22, 1237–1253 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02266963
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02266963