Chemically-mediated colonization of black cherry by the peach bark beetle, Phloeotribus liminaris.

The peach bark beetle (Phloeotribus liminaris Harris, PBB) affects the health, quality, and value of black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) within the Central Hardwoods Forest Region of North America. When colonized by adult beetles, black cherry trees produce a defensive exudate, or 'gum', staining the wood and decreasing its value up to 90%.

Do Helicoverpa armigera Moths Signal Their Fecundity by Emission of an Antagonist?

Female Helicoverpa armigera emit a pheromone, comprised of a 98:2 ratio of (Z)-11-hexadecenal to (Z)-9-hexadecenal, to attract males. It has been proposed that "immature" female H. armigera modulate attraction of males by emitting an antagonist, (Z)-11-hexadecenol, along with pheromone during the first two nights of calling.

Volatile and Contact Chemical Cues Associated with Host and Mate Recognition Behavior of Sphenophorus venatus and Sphenophorus parvulus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae).

Beetles in the genus Sphenophorus Schönherr, or billbugs, potentially utilize both volatile and non-volatile behavior-modifying chemical signals. These insects are widely distributed across North America, often occurring in multi-species assemblages in grasses. However, details about their host- and mate-finding behavior are poorly understood.

Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Female-Produced Contact Sex Pheromone Components of the Longhorned Beetle, Neoclytus acuminatus acuminatus (F).

Cuticular hydrocarbons play important roles in contact chemical communication in insects. Many of these compounds are methyl-branched hydrocarbons with one or more chiral centers, which can exist in two or more stereoisomeric forms. Although the importance of chirality for the volatile semiochemicals that insects use for long-range communication is well established, almost nothing is known about the role of chirality in insect contact chemoreception.

Toxicity of Turmeric Extracts to the Termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae).

Turmeric is an important spice crop with documented human health benefits associated with chemicals called curcuminoids. In this study, the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) was exposed to different solvent extracts of turmeric to investigate potential termiticidal properties. Treating termites with hexane extracts of purified lab-grade curcuminoids had no effect on termites.