Science Source

Western Pine Beetle Populations in Arizona and California Differ in the Composition of Their Aggregation Pheromones

Compares pheromone production and response for populations of western pine beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte, from sites in northern Arizona and northern California
Provides compelling evidence that endo-brevicomin is an aggregation pheromone component for D. brevicomis in central Arizona and may replace or duplicate exo-brevicomin as the major female-produced bicyclic acetal pheromone component in this region
Observes significant attraction enhancement by endo-brevicomin lures in the California site, suggesting behavioral activity with this population as well, although this response was much lower than to the exo-isomer and could be attributable to the 4 % exo- contamination of the endo-brevicomin lures
States the California/Arizona divergence in pheromone composition is perhaps the first recognized, ecologically-relevant phenotypic difference that distinguishes the eastern and western D. brevicomis genotypes