2,3-Hexanediols as Sex Attractants and a Female-produced Sex Pheromone for Cerambycid Beetles in the Prionine Genus Tragosoma

Ann M. Ray, James D. Barbour, J. Steven McElfresh, Jardel A. Moreira, Ian Swift, Ian M. Wright, Alenka Žunič, Robert F. Mitchell, Elizabeth E. Graham, Ronald L. Alten, Jocelyn G. Millar, Lawrence M. Hanks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Recent work suggests that closely related cerambycid species often share pheromone components, or even produce pheromone blends of identical composition. However, little is known of the pheromones of species in the subfamily Prioninae. During field bioassays in California, males of three species in the prionine genus Tragosoma were attracted to 2,3-hexanediols, common components of male-produced aggregation pheromones of beetles in the subfamily Cerambycinae. We report here that the female-produced sex pheromone of Tragosoma depsarium "sp. nov. Laplante" is (2R,3R)-2,3-hexanediol, and provide evidence from field bioassays and electroantennography that the female-produced pheromone of both Tragosoma pilosicorne Casey and T. depsarium "harrisi" LeConte may be (2S,3R)-2,3-hexanediol. Sexual dimorphism in the sculpting of the prothorax suggests that the pheromone glands are located in the prothorax of females. This is the second sex attractant pheromone structure identified from the subfamily Prioninae, and our results provide further evidence of pheromonal parsimony within the Cerambycidae, in this case extending across both subfamily and gender lines.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1151-1158
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Chemical Ecology
Volume38
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2012

Keywords

  • 2,3-hexanediol
  • Cerambycidae
  • Longhorned beetle
  • Mating behavior
  • Pheromone
  • Prioninae

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Biochemistry

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