Testing multispecies pheromone blends of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in southern Texas.

Abstract

Aggregation-sex pheromones, that attract both sexes, are produced by male cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of the subfamilies Cerambycinae, Lamiinae, and Spondylidinae. Here, we present the results of a field experiment conducted at multiple sites in southern Texas, primarily near the border with the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. At each site, we deployed traps baited with a 6-component blend of known pheromones of cerambycine and lamiine species + an ethanol lure, a 5-component blend of lamiine pheromones + an ethanol lure, an ethanol lure alone, and a solvent control. Over a ~3-wk period, 846 beetles of 51 species were trapped, representing 36 cerambycine, 14 lamiine, and one prionine species, and one species in the closely related family Disteniidae. For species collected from at least 5 study sites, nonparametric tests of treatment effects revealed that the generic 6-component blend + ethanol attracted significant numbers of one cerambycine species, while the lamiine blend + ethanol attracted one cerambycine species and 2 lamiine species. The ethanol lure attracted 2 additional cerambycine species in significant numbers. For species that were captured at fewer sites, chi-square goodness-of-fit tests showed that the 2 pheromone blends + ethanol attracted significant numbers of another 6 species of cerambycines and 4 species of lamiines. Captures noteworthy from the standpoint of collection records include the rare species Leptostylopsis lutea Dillon, and Lochmaeocles cornuticeps cornuticeps (Schaeffer) and Thryallis undatus (Chevrolet), 2 species which have rarely been reported outside Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Cameron County, Texas.