Methyl anthranilate, a novel attractant for the soybean beetle, Anomala rufocuprea Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract

The attractiveness of methyl anthranilate for both sexes of the adult soybean beetle, Anomala rufocuprea was evaluated by trapping at a tobacco field. The total catch by traps baited with methyl anthranilate was approximately 15 and 5 times as large as those baited with eugenol and the female sex pheromone, respectively; the female ratio in the overall catch was 57.5%, whereas that with the sex pheromone was 4.7%. Combined use with the sex pheromone exhibited a higher performance even for females: The catch by the combined attractant was much larger than the simple sum of the catches by each single attractant. These results suggest the potential use of methyl anthranilate as a lure for mass trapping, as well as for monitoring.