Studies of Sex Attractant of Banded Cucumber Beetle

A natural sex attractant Produced by females of the banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata LeConte, usually by the time they were 10 days old, lured males of this species from distances as far 49 feet. Unmated females remained attractive to males for as long as 79 days. Most females ceased to be attractive after 1 mating and none were attractive after 2 matings. The attractant was extracted from female abdomens with alcohol. Extracts of the heads and thoraces and of filter paper on which females had crawled gave negative results. Male behavioral responses are described.