Abstract
The click beetle species Agriotes acuminatus is distributed in open deciduous forests throughout a large area in Europe. In order to identify its sex pheromone, gland extracts of female beetles were investigated by using GC/MS. Neryl butanoate and 2,6-dimethyl-(Z,E)-2,6-octadien-1,8-diol dihexanoate, in a ratio of approximately 1:5, were the only volatile compounds present in the extracts. Structures of both esters were confirmed by synthesis. Field experiments revealed a strong attraction of A. acuminatus males towards neryl butanoate, which could be synergistically enhanced by addition of 2,6-dimethyl-(Z,E)-2,6-octadien-1,8-diol dihexanoate. The latter compound alone did not show any attractive effect. While all Agriotes spp. investigated to date use geranyl and/or (E,E)-farnesyl esters as sex pheromones, the nerol derivatives of A. acuminatus are the first (Z)-2-configurated pheromones within this genus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arm, C., Schwabe, R., and Pfander, H. 1986. Synthese von (all-E,14 S)-14,15-Epoxy-14,15-dihydrogeranylgeranial und 1,2-Epoxy-1,2-dihydrophytoen. Chimia 40:58–61.
Cate, P. C. 2007. Elateridae, pp. 89–209, in I. Löbl and A. Smetana (eds.). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera,vol. 4. Apollo Books, Stenstrup.
Klausnitzer, B. 1994. Die Larven der Käfer Mitteleuropas. 2. Band: Myxophaga, Polyphaga, Teil 1. Goecke & Evers, Krefeld.
Lohse, G. A. 1979. 34. Familie: Elateridae, pp. 103–186, in H. Freude, K. Harde and G. A. Lohse (eds.). Die Käfer Mitteleuropas, Band 6: Diversicornia. Goecke & Evers, Krefeld.
Merivee, E., and Erm, A. 1993. Studies on sex pheromone gland morphology and pheromone components in female elaterid beetles Agriotes obscurus L. and Agriotes lineatus L. (Coleoptera. Elateridae). Proc. Est. Acad. Sci. Biol. Ecol. 42:108–117.
Rudolph, K. 1974. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Elateridenlarven der Fauna der DDR und der BRD. Zool. Jb. Syst. 101:1–151.
Subchev, M., Toshova, T., Furlan, L., and Tóth, M. 2006. Click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and their seasonal swarming as established by pheromone traps in different plant habitats in Bulgaria: 3. Potato. Acta Zool. Bulg. 58:361–370.
Tolasch, T. 2008. Sex pheromone of Ectinus aterrimus (Linnè, 1761) (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Chemoecol. 18:177–180.
Tolasch, T., von Fragstein, M., and Steidle, J. L. M. 2007. Sex pheromone of Elater ferrugineus L. (Coleoptera: Elateridae). J. Chem. Ecol. 33:2156–2166.
Tóth, M., Furlan, L., Yatsynin, V. G., Ujvary, I., Szarukan, I., Imrei, Z., Subchev, M., Tolasch, T., and Francke, W. 2002. Identification of sex pheromone composition of click beetle Agriotes brevis Candeze. J. Chem. Ecol. 28:1641–1652.
Tóth, M., Furlan, L., Yatsynin, V. G., Ujvary, I., Szarukan, I., Imrei, Z., Tolasch, T., Francke, W., and Jossi, W. 2003. Identification of pheromones and optimization of bait composition for click beetle pests (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Central and Western Europe. Pest Manag. Sci. 59:417–425.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tolasch, T., von Fragstein, M. & Steidle, J.L.M. Sex Pheromone of Agriotes acuminatus (Stephens, 1830) (Coleoptera: Elateridae). J Chem Ecol 36, 314–318 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9767-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9767-5