Sequential Isolation of Essential Oils Repellent to the Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The push-pull approach using semiochemicals in pest control requires both an attractant and a repellent. Many previous studies have arbitrarily tested one or more known insect repellents or plant essential oils (EOs) hoping to find repellents of an insect pest. We used a comprehensive approach that synergistically tests in the field numerous natural volatiles from commercial EOs to identify repellents of the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a worldwide pest of palms and date palms.

Modelling push-pull management of pest insects using repellents and attractive traps in fruit tree orchards.

Background: Push-pull with semiochemicals in pest management uses repellents to reduce response of pests to food-mate resources (push) and attractive traps to reduce populations (pull). Simulation models of push-pull can aid understanding of plant-insect interactions in nature and suggest hypotheses for field tests that improve management. A previous model indicated advantages of push-pull for controlling ambrosia beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus, pest of avocado trees.

Circadian rhythms of insect pheromone titer, calling, emission, and response: a review.

Many insect species have circadian rhythms of pheromone production/titer, calling, emission, and response that are involved in intraspecific communication and impact pest management practices. Rhythms of pheromone biosynthesis, most studied in moths affecting forestry and agriculture, contribute to a periodicity of pheromone concentration or titer within glands or hemolymph. Calling rhythms by the pheromone-emitting sex are physical movements (pumping, vibrating wings) that aid in release and dispersion of the volatile pheromone components attractive to the opposite conspecific sex or both sexes.

Absolute Configuration of the Spherical Mealybug Sex Pheromone, γ-Necrodyl Isobutyrate: Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Bioassays.

The spherical mealybug, (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a major global pest causing feeding damage to leaves and fruits of citrus varieties, soybean, mango, pomegranate, and grapevines. Females of the mealybug release a sex pheromone that was identified recently as a mixture of γ-necrodyl isobutyrate and γ-necrodol. The identification required synthesis based on a natural source of -α-necrodol, of unknown chirality, obtained from essential oil of Spanish lavender, .

Semiochemicals Affecting Attraction of Ambrosia Beetle Euwallacea fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) to Quercivorol: Developing Push-Pull Control.

Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff), the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), is an ambrosia beetle infesting avocado Persea americana Mill. limbs in North America and Israel. We conducted field experiments with sticky traps in avocado orchards to develop push-pull semiochemical methods of managing PSHB.

Magnetic Polyurea Nano-Capsules Synthesized via Interfacial Polymerization in Inverse Nano-Emulsion.

Polyurea (PU) nano-capsules have received voluminous interest in various fields due to their biocompatibility, high mechanical properties, and surface functionality. By incorporating magnetic nanoparticle (MNPs) into the polyurea system, the attributes of both PU and MNPs can be combined. In this work, we describe a facile and quick method for preparing magnetic polyurea nano-capsules.

Identification of the Sex Pheromone of the Spherical Mealybug Nipaecoccus viridis.

The spherical mealybug Nipaecoccus viridis is a pest of several major crops including soybeans, grapes and citrus varieties. Sessile virgin females of N. viridis release two volatiles, 2,2,3,4-tetramethyl-3-cyclopentene-1-methanol (γ-necrodol) and γ-necrodyl isobutyrate, on a circadian rhythm with peak at 17:00 (11 hr of photophase) as determined by automated, sequential solid phase micro extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

Index of host habitat preference explored by movement-based simulations and trap captures.

Animal species likely have different strengths of host habitat preference (HHP) that might be characterized by a standardized index ranging from 0 (no preference) to 1 (maximum preference). We hypothesized that in some species, HHP may result from individuals dispersing out of the host habitat having a probability of turning back at the boundary, or after entering host habitat by reducing speed or increasing size of turning angles. Computer simulations of individuals moving between various sized patches of host and nonhost habitat were conducted based on these three behaviours hypothesized to affect HHP.

Inhibitory Effects of Semiochemicals on the Attraction of an Ambrosia Beetle Euwallacea nr. fornicatus to Quercivorol.

The Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff) species complex includes the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), an ambrosia beetle infesting avocado limbs, Persea americana Mill. Synthetic quercivorol, a monoterpene alcohol, is known to attract females (males are flightless) over a range of release rates spanning three orders of magnitude. The upper release dose was extended 10-fold using sticky traps baited with quercivorol released at 1× (0.

An insect anti-antiaphrodisiac.

Passive mechanisms of mate guarding are used by males to promote sperm precedence with little cost, but these tactics can be disadvantageous for their mates and other males. Mated females of the plant bug are rendered temporarily unattractive by seminal fluids containing myristyl acetate and geranylgeranyl acetate. These antiaphrodisiac pheromones are gradually released from the female's gonopore, declining until they no longer suppress male courtship.

Attraction of the Euwallacea sp. near fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Quercivorol and to Infestations in Avocado.

The Euwallacea sp. near fornicatus (Euwallacea sp. 1 hereafter) feeds on many woody shrubs and trees and is a pest of avocado, Persea americana Mill.

Diel periodicity of pheromone release by females of Planococcus citri and Planococcus ficus and the temporal flight activity of their conspecific males.

The diel periodicity of sex pheromone release was monitored in two mealybug species, Planococcus citri and Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera; Pseudococcidae), using sequential SPME/GCMS analysis. A maximal release of 2 ng/h pheromone by 9-12-day-old P. citri females occurred 1-2 h before the beginning of photophase.

Circadian release of male-specific components of the greater date moth, Aphomia (Arenipses) sabella, using sequential SPME/GC/MS analysis.

The greater date moth (GDM), Aphomia sabella Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Galleriinae), is a serious pest of date palms, Phoenix dactylifera. The release of volatiles from both males and females was investigated using sequential SPME/GC/MS analysis. Males release a complex mixture of compounds in a circadian rhythm during the night between 03:00 and 05:00 hr.

Sex pheromone component ratios and mating isolation among three Lygus plant bug species of North America.

The plant bugs Lygus hesperus, Lygus lineolaris, and Lygus elisus (Hemiptera: Miridae) are major pests of many agricultural crops in North America. Previous studies suggested that females release a sex pheromone attractive to males. Other studies showed that males and females contain microgram amounts of (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal, hexyl butyrate, and (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate that are emitted as a defense against predators.

Analyzing diurnal and age-related pheromone emission of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae by sequential SPME-GCMS analysis.

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae), uses 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane ("olean"), produced primarily by females, as a sex pheromone. We used sequential solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME-GCMS) analysis to show that female olive flies release about 1000 ng of pheromone at the onset of scotophase for several weeks, while males release about 1/100 as much during the first week after eclosion.

Male behaviors reveal multiple pherotypes within vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera; Pseudococcidae) populations.

The vine mealybug (VM) females collected in Israel produce two sex pheromone compounds: lavandulyl senecioate (LS) and (S)-lavandulyl isovalerate (LI). The males display ambiguous behavior to LI: repulsion in the vineyard and attraction of laboratory-reared males. We addressed the question of individual male behavior, i.