An operative kairomonal lure for managing pine sawyer beetleMonochamus galloprovincialis(Coleoptera: Cerymbycidae)

Monochamus galloprovincialis Olivier (Col., Cerambycidae) is a vector of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus , causing the destructive pine wilt disease. An effective lure for monitoring and/or mass‐trapping would be of great interest in the management of this pine sawyer. Males and females of this species show an attractive kairomonal response to blends composed of four pheromone compounds used by Ips spp. bark beetles and two host volatiles from pines. This six‐component lure is highly attractive but may to be too complex and costly for practical use as each component is released from a separate lure. The role of each component, ipsdienol, ipsenol, cis ‐verbenol, methyl butenol, α ‐pinene and ethanol as attractants for M. galloprovincialis was field tested in Spain to obtain a simpler but equally effective bait. Ipsenol was confirmed as the strongest kairomonal signal to M. galloprovincialis synergizing response to α ‐pinene by 95 times. The addition of methyl butenol to this blend doubled the number of males and females trapped. On the other hand, neither ipsdienol, cis ‐verbenol nor ethanol improved the results when incorporated into the above three‐component blend. A lure consisting of ipsenol, methyl butenol and α ‐pinene may be very cost‐efficient in operational monitoring or mass trapping of M. galloprovincialis . Three potentially repellent candidates, (−)verbenone, methyl cyclohexenone and trans ‐conophthorin, were also tested against the attractive three‐component bait. trans ‐Conophthorin significantly reduced male catches of M. galloprovincialis ; methyl cyclohexenone had no effect. Verbenone significantly enhanced the response of females to the attractive combination of α ‐pinene, ipsenol and methyl butenol.