In an effort to aid in reintroduction efforts of the federally endangered Nicrophorus americanus a synthetic bait was developed to improve survey techniques. Chicken is the preferred bait for population surveys of N. americanus. It is, however, inconsistent in attractiveness and a more predictable bait would be preferred. Using headspace volatile collection, the volatiles released from 48 hour decomposed chicken were collected. These volatiles were identified using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer. Wind-tunnel bioassays were performed using N. americanus to find a blend of chemicals that elicit a response most similar to that of rotten chicken. A blend of chemicals including dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, and indole were found to elicit such a response. The blend was found to attract beetles in the field as well.
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