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TY - JOUR AU - Rochat, Didier AU - Morin, Jean-Paul AU - Kakul, Titus AU - Beaudoin-Ollivier, Laurence AU - Prior, Robert AU - Renou, Michel AU - Malosse, Isabelle AU - Stathers, Tanya AU - Embupa, Sebastian AU - Laup, Samson PY - 2002 DA - 2002/03/01 TI - Activity of Male Pheromone of Melanesian Rhinoceros Beetle Scapanes australis JO - Journal of Chemical Ecology SP - 479 EP - 500 VL - 28 IS - 3 AB - Laboratory and field investigations were carried out to investigate the nature and role of the male pheromone emitted by the Dynast beetle Scapanes australis and to develop a mass trapping technique against this major coconut pest in Papua New Guinea. We report the biological data obtained from natural and synthetic pheromone, previously described as an 84:12:4 (w/w) mixture of 2-butanol (1), 3-hydoxy-2-butanone (2), and 2,3-butanediol (3). EAG recordings from natural and synthetic pheromone and a pitfall olfactometer were poorly informative. In contrast, extensive field trapping trials with various synthetic pheromone mixtures and doses showed that 1 and 2 (formulated in polyethylene sachets in 90:5 v:v ratio) were necessary and sufficient for optimum long-range attraction. Beetles were captured in traps baited with racemic 1 plus 2, with or without a stereoisomer mixture of 3 (2.5- to 2500-mg/day doses). Plant pieces, either sugarcane or coconut, enhanced captures by the synthetic pheromone, which was active alone. Traps with the pheromone caught both sexes in a 3:2 female–male ratio. A pheromone-based mass trapping led to the capture of 2173 beetles in 14 traps surrounding 40 ha of a cocoa-coconut plantation. The captures followed a log-linear decrease during the 125-week trapping program. The role of the male pheromone and its potential for crop protection are discussed. SN - 1573-1561 UR - https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014531810037 DO - 10.1023/A:1014531810037 ID - Rochat2002 ER -