3-Methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one and the Douglas-fir beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): history of successful bark beetle pheromone treatments

This paper reviews the literature on the identification of 3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one (MCH) as the antiaggregation pheromone of the Douglas-fir beetle ( Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and the development of successful management applications using the pheromone. Previously unpublished data from two studies on novel uses of MCH are included. The successful development of antiaggregation pheromone-based treatments for the Douglas-fir beetle is discussed in relation to efforts to develop similar treatments for other bark beetle species, and opportunities for future research on MCH and the Douglas-fir beetle are suggested.