KAIROMONE FROM DANDELION, TARAXACUM-OFFICINALE, ATTRACTANT FOR SCARAB BEETLE ANOMALA-OCTIESCOSTATA

The attraction of the scarab beetle Anomala octiescostata to dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, was demonstrated to be chemically mediated by a mixture of cis-3-hexenyl acetate, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, phenethyl alcohol, phenylacetonitrile, and benzyl benzoate, in the ratio 4:8:14:3:5:19:11. Combination of the synthetic kairomone and sex pheromone (buibuilactone + japonilure, 8:2), significantly increased the total catches of A. octiescostata. Catches of male (but not female) beetles were significantly higher with the kairomone-pheromone blend than with kairomone alone. The synergistic effect of the kairomone from dandelion on the attractiveness did not significantly differ from that of a food-type lure, anethol, geraniol, and phenethyl propionate (9:0.5:0.5). The latter combined with the synthetic sex pheromone resulted in better attraction of female (but not male) A. octiescostata than the sex pheromone alone.