Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools

You are here: Home / Library / RBINS Staff Publications / Exploitation of kairomones and synomones by Medetera spp. (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), predators of spruce bark beetles

J.a Hulcr, M.c Pollet, K.e Ubik, and J.e Vrkoč (2005)

Exploitation of kairomones and synomones by Medetera spp. (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), predators of spruce bark beetles

European Journal of Entomology, 102(4):655-662.

The semioehemical relationships in a predator-prey-host plant system were studied by a series of multiple-choice field assays. The studied system included predatory flies of the genus Medetera (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), the bark beetles Ips typographus and Pityogenes chalcographus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) as prey and Norwegian spruce (Picea abies) as the host plant. Of the nine species of predators collected, only M. setiventris and M. melancholica provided sufficient data for statistical analysis. The response of the predators to monoterpenic products of the host (alpha-pinene, limonene, camphor), pheromone compounds of I. typographus (S-cis-verbenol and 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol) and a mixture of the pheromones of I. typographys and P. chalcographus were investigated. Our field trials revealed that tree volatiles plus pheromones of the prey, and a pheromone mixture of both prey species were considerably more attractive to M. setiventris and M. melancholica than the individual chemicals. Medetera seem to respond to the stage of tree decay and the intensity of bark beetle infestation via the ratios of tree volatiles and/or prey pheromones.

cited By (since 1996)9

Document Actions

Menu

 
RBINS Staff
add or import reference(s)
  • add a PDF paper
    (Please follow editors copyrights policies)
  • add a PDF poster