Identification of aggregation-sex pheromone of the Korean monochamus alternatus (coleoptera: Cerambycidae) population, the main vector of pine wood nematode

Abstract

We confirmed an aggregation-sex pheromone of the Korean Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) population, which primarily transmitted the pine wood nematode in Korea. Only the M. alternatus male emitted monochamol which has been previously reported in the Chinese M. alternatus population. In field attraction testing, the monochamol+α-pinene+ethanol combination attracted more M. alternatus adult beetles than traps containing only monochamol, ethanol, or α-pinene. The bark beetle aggregation pheromone compounds of ipsenol, ipsdienol, and ipsenol+ipsdienol, did not show synergistic effects with the monochamol+α-pinene+ethanol combination. No synergistic effects were observed when each host volatile compound of 3-carene, β-caryophyllene, limonene, myrcene, and β-pinene was added to traps containing monochamol+α-pinene+ethanol. The ratio of female beetles was much higher in traps containing the monochamol+α-pinene+ethanol combination than that of the natural population. Our results indicated that pheromone and synergists could be useful for managing the M. alternatus population.