2,3-Hexanediols as sex attractants and a female-produced sex pheromone for cerambycid beetles in the prionine genus Tragosoma.

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.

cis-Vaccenyl acetate, a female-produced sex pheromone component of Ortholeptura valida, a longhorned beetle in the subfamily Lepturinae.

We report the identification, synthesis, and field bioassays of a female-produced sex attractant pheromone component of the cerambycid beetle Ortholeptura valida (LeConte). Headspace volatiles from females contained a female-specific compound, (Z)-11-octadecen-1-yl acetate, which elicited a strong response from antennae of adult males in coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram analyses. In field bioassays, significant numbers of males were collected by traps baited with this compound.

Tuning of host plants with vibratory songs of Nezara viridula L (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae).

Songs of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula L, recorded on a non-resonant loudspeaker membrane, reflect frequency characteristics of body vibrations. The song dominant frequency directly depends on the repetition rate of potentials recorded from synchronously contracting muscles that vibrate the abdomen during singing. Spectra of naturally emitted signals recorded on the pronotum of a singing bug or on a plant contain peaks characteristic of plant resonant spectra.