Sex Pheromone of Agriotes acuminatus (Stephens, 1830) (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

J Chem Ecol. 2010 Mar;36(3):314-8. doi: 10.1007/s10886-010-9767-5. Epub 2010 Feb 27.

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.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Coleoptera / drug effects
  • Coleoptera / physiology*
  • Female
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Male
  • Sex Attractants / chemistry*
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / chemistry
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / isolation & purification
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / pharmacology

Substances

  • Sex Attractants
  • Volatile Organic Compounds