Responses of parasitoid wasps to pheromones of cerambycid beetles

Beetles in the family Cerambycidae often emit long-range pheromones to facilitate in the location of mates. Many species of parasitoids have been shown to use pheromones of Coleoptera as kairomones to locate hosts. Our objective was to identify species of parasitoids that are attracted by pheromones of cerambycids in the subfamily Cerambycinae. We test the hypothesis that parasitoid species will be attracted by pheromones of their host species, but not those of other cerambycid species, and that attraction to pheromones can be used to predict host relationships. Bioassays were conducted in a wooded area in east-central Illinois during 9 June - 4 September 2014 using transparent sticky traps.  Traps were baited with one of the following pheromones of cerambycids diluted in isopropyl alcohol: anti-2,3-hexanediol, syn-2,3-hexanediol, anti-2,3-octanediol, syn-2,3-octanediol, 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, or isopropyl alcohol (solvent control).  Treatment effects were significant for six species of parasitoids in the families Bethylidae, Ceraphronidae, Evaniidae, Ichneumonidae, Platygastridae, and Pteromalidae, all being attracted by diols.  This information may be used in identifying potential hosts of parasitoids, and for determining their distribution, phenology, and abundance.

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