Insect predator-prey coevolution via enantiomeric specificity in a kairomone-pheromone system.

Insect predators can be guided to their prey by a kairomonal response to the prey pheromone. We found this phenomenon to be highly specific in the bark beetle predatorThanasimus dubius. Olfactory responses and behavioral tests revealed that the predator is guided to its major preyDendroctonusfrontalis by the primary enantiomer of the pheromone of the prey, (1S, 5R)-(-)-frontalin. These and other findings suggest the co-evolution of a kairomone system of the predator and the pheromone system of its prey.