| Abstract: | Summary. Host selection in tree-killing bark beetles
(Coleoptera: Scolytidae) is mediated by a complex of semiochemical
cues. Using gas chromatographic-electroantennographic
detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometric
analyses, we conducted a comparative study of the electrophysiological
responses of four species of tree-killing bark
beetles, the Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae,
Hopkins, the mountain pine beetle, D. ponderosae Hopkins,
the spruce beetle, D. rufipennis Kirby, and the western balsam
bark beetle, Dryocoetes confusus Swaine, to volatiles
captured by aeration of 1) bole and foliage of four sympatric
species of conifers, Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii
(Mirb.) Franco, lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia
Engelm., interior spruce, Picea engelmannii x glauca, and
interior fir, Abies lasiocarpa x bifolia, and 2) con- and
heterospecific beetles at three stages of attack. We identified
13 monoterpenes in the conifers and nine compounds in the
volatiles of beetles that elicited antennal responses. There
was no qualitative difference in the terpene constitution of
the four species of conifers and very little difference across
beetle species in their antennal response to compounds from
conifers or beetles. The lack of species-specific major or
minor components in conifers suggests that beetles would
need to detect differences in the ratios of different compounds
in conifers to discriminate among them. Attraction to
hosts and avoidance of nonhost conifers may be accentuated
by perception of compounds emitted by con- and heterospecific
beetles, respectively. The 22 compounds identified
are candidate semiochemicals with potential behavioural
roles in host location and discrimination. |
