Testing for kairomonal attraction of dipterans to pheromones of cerambycid beetles

Beetles in the family Cerambycidae use volatile pheromones to locate mates. Oviposition begins shortly after mating. Sex pheromones are detectable, reliable indicators of the presence of a specific species of insect. Thus, for parasitic insects, orienting towards these volatile chemicals may assist in locating hosts. Our objective was to quantify the abundance and diversity of Diptera captured with sticky traps baited with pheromones of the cerambycid subfamily Lamiinae. We hypothesized that traps baited with different pheromones would attract different species of Diptera. Communities of Diptera in the forest at Allerton Park in central Illinois were surveyed using clear sticky traps set 1.6 meters off the ground. Traps were placed along a transect 10 meters apart and rotated 3 days per week. The traps were left in the field for 2 weeks of June 2014. Four different pheromones were used: Fuscumol, Fuscumol Acetate, Monochamol, and Geranylacetone.  We also surveyed α-pinene, a plant volatile known to synergize pheromones of some species of cerambycids. Results from our study will contribute to knowledge of communities of Diptera in central Illinois and help us to better understand how they locate hosts.