Quantification of 2-butanol as a sex attractant pheromone and related alcohols emitted by individual white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

• Published in: Applied Entomology and Zoology Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 129 - 135
• Main Authors: Yasui, H., National Inst. of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan), Wakamura, S, Tanaka, S, Harano, K, Mochizuki, F, Nagayama, A, Hokama, Y, Arakaki, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY 01.01.2010
• Subjects: 2-Butanol; BUTANOL; CANA DE AZUCAR; CANNE A SUCRE; Coleoptera; Dasylepida ishigakiensis; FEROMONAS SEXUALES; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_27473; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_30124; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_34336; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_4204; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7501; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7879; hydrophilic alcohol; LARVAE; LARVAS; LARVE; PHEROMONE SEXUELLE; PIEGE; quantification; SCARABAEIDAE; sex attractant pheromone; SEX PHEROMONES; SUGARCANE; TRAMPAS; TRAPS
• ISSN: 0003-6862; 1347-605X
• DOI: 10.1303/aez.2010.129

Females of the white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis, emit a highly volatile, hydrophilic sex pheromone 2-butanol and related compounds. To quantify these compounds, a new method using water to trap them was developed. Vapors of 2-butanol, 2-propanol and ethanol were trapped with water, extracted with an SPME fiber and then injected into GC-MS for analyses. Quantification curves of each alcohol showed good linearity within a certain range. The recovery rate of 2-butanol released from authentic lure tubes was estimated to be ca. 70%. These results indicated that the method tested would be applicable to measure the amounts of volatiles emitted by the beetles. Using this method, it was estimated that field-collected calling females emitted more than 200 ng 2-butanol, ca. 50 ng 2-propanol, and ca. 500 ng ethanol on average in the laboratory. In a second calling trial, however, the amount of 2-butanol emitted by females was reduced to 3% of the amount in the first calling trial. Trace amounts of 2-butanol were detected in volatile samples from males. Because 2-propanol and ethanol were emitted by both sexes in similar amounts, they may not be involved in sexual communication.