FLIGHT-MEDIATED ATTRACTION OF BIPRORULUS-BIBAX BREDDIN (HEMIPTERA, PENTATOMIDAE) TO NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC AGGREGATION PHEROMONE

The attraction of female spined citrus bugs, Biprorulus bobax, to natural and synthetic aggregation pheromone was studied using an olfactometer and a large flight cage. No locomotory response by postdiapause, prereproductive females to heptane extracts of male dorsal abdominal glands (DAGs) (site of pheromone production) was recorded in the olfactometer study. However, postdiapause, prereproductive females showed significant attraction to sites baited with DAG extracts in the flight cage (1.9-3.0 times that of unbaited sites). Prereproductive and reproductive females showed greatest attraction to sites baited with a synthetic blend of pheromone [(3R,4S,1'E)-3,4-bis(1'-butenyl)tetrahydro-2-furanol, linalool, farnesol, nerolidol] (2.3-4.7 times the attraction of unbaited sites). Females also responded significantly to sites baited with the hemiacetal major component alone (1.7-2.2x). Diapausing females collected from fall populations did not respond to natural or synthetic pheromone baits. Potential applications of the synthetic aggregation pheromone are discussed with respect to B. bibax management.