Attraction of a bark beetle predator, Thanasimus undatulus (Coleoptera: Cleridae), to pheromones of the spruce beetle and two secondary bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

• Published in: Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia Vol. 94; pp. 35 - 41
• Main Authors: Poland, T.M, Borden, J.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.1997
• Subjects: alpha-pinene; amitinol; bait traps; brevicomin; Cleridae; Coleoptera; Dendroctonus rufipennis; Dryocoetes affaber; frontalin; insect attractants; Ips; Ips tridens; ipsdienol; kairomones; pheromone traps; pheromones; predators; predators of insect pests; Scolytidae; Thanasimus undatulus; verbenol; British Columbia
• ISSN: 0071-0733; 1929-7890

The bark beetle predator Thanasimus undatulus Say was captured in statistically significant numbers (total catch = 470, 713, and 137) in three field experiments using multiple-funnel traps baited with various combinations of pheromones for the spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby, and the secondary bark beetles Dryocoetes affaber Mannerheim, and Ips tridens Mannerheim. Thanasimus undatulus was attracted to frontalin and alpha -pinene, the commercial spruce beetle lure, alone or combined with the D. affaber pheromones (+)-endo- and ( plus or minus )-exo-brevicomin. Ips tridens pheromones, ( plus or minus )- and (+)-ipsdienol, significantly increased the numbers of T. undatulus attracted to spruce beetle lures. Additional I. tridens pheromone components, (-)-cis-verbenol and amitinol, did not increase attraction to spruce beetle lures with added ( plus or minus )-ipsdienol. Attraction to I. tridens pheromones indicates that baiting susceptible hosts with I. tridens pheromones to induce competitive exclusion of the spruce beetle may also lead to increased densities of the natural enemy, T. undatulus.