Chemical Ecology of ambrosia beetle Megaplatypus mutatus: from identification of pheromones to formulation in reservoir and monolithic delivery systems and Monitoring and Mating disruptIon trial. Paola González Audino, H. Funes, M. Slodowicz and E. Ze

P. GONZÁLEZ AUDINO; M. SLODOWICZ; FUNES H; ZERBA, EDUARDO

Conferencia; 28th International Chemical Ecology Conference; 2013

Megaplatypus mutatus (Chapuis) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae) is an ambrosia beetle native to South America, but has recently been introduced to Italy and represents a serious problem in commercial poplar and fruit tree plantations. Male M. mutatus emits a sex pheromone composed of (+)-6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol [(+)-sulcatol], 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (sulcatone) and 3-pentanol. We made reservoir and monolithic type dispensers for pheromones to be deployed in the field during the flying period. The release rates of the dispensers were measured in a wind tunnel at controlled temperature and wind speed. The polymeric reservoir-type dispensers had constant release rate (zero order kinetics) in the range of milligrams per day for periods of until 15-20 days. The monolithic dispensers were made with different mixtures of waxes and polymers with inert components. They followed first-order kinetics.  We performed field trapping trials of M. mutatus in highly infested hazelnut and poplar plantations of Italy and Argentina. Different shapes and colour of traps were tested. Taking into account that the beetle is relatively immobile, that males are monogamous, and that the pheromones are of very low commercial cost, stable in field conditions and can be formulated in controlled released systems with relatively high release rates, we evaluated the potential management by disruption of communication. After the treatment, the number of galleries where mating took place was significantly higher in control than in treated areas, indicating that pheromone application had interfered with female behavior and male localization. As damage reduction was greater than 56% in both countries, these results show the potential for the strategy of pheromone-mediated mating disruption of M. mutatus in commercial poplar and hazelnut plantations. Also, our study provides the first evidence for successful pheromone-mediated mating disruption in a forest beetle.   References P. Gonzalez Audino, R. Villaverde, R. Alfaro and E. Zerba. 2005. J Econ Entomol.     Hernán Funes, Raffaele Griffo, Eduardo Zerba & Paola Gonzalez-Audino. 2011. Ent Exp Appl.