LINEATIN ENANTIOMER PREFERENCE, FLIGHT PERIODS, AND EFFECT OF PHEROMONE CONCENTRATION AND TRAP LENGTH ON THREE SYMPATRIC SPECIES OF TRYPODENDRON (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

The effects of lineatin enantiomer ratios, lineatin release rate, and trap length on catches and the flight periods of three sympatric species of Trypodendron Stephens were investigated in field bioassays using multiple-funnel traps. The ambrosia beetle, Trypodendron betulae Swaine, was caught in similar numbers in baited traps and blank control traps, showing that this species does not respond to lineatin. Our results confirmed that Trypodendron lineatum (Olivier) is attracted only to (+)-lineatin. Trypodendron rufitarsus (Kirby) and Trypodendron retusum (LeConte) were shown to utilize lineatin and like T. lineatum were caught only when (+)-lineatin was present. These results indicate that lineatin does not govern reproductive isolation among these three species. There was no effect by (+)-lineatin release rate within the range tested. The flight of T. rufitarsus commenced earlier and ceased before the peak of the T. lineatum flight, suggesting that temporal separation may be an important component of reproductive isolation between these two species. The flight period of T. retusum was similar to that of T. lineatum. Host odours may aid in reproductive isolation of these two species. Enantiomer blend did not significantly affect sex ratio in any species; however, sex ratio differed among species, indicating that different species responded differently to the traps or that natural sex ratios differ. Catches of T. rufitarsus and T. retusum increased with trap length when pheromone release per trap was held constant and when release was held constant relative to trap length. Trap length and release rate did not affect sex ratio.