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Title: IRIDODIAL: AN AGGREGATION PHEROMONE OF GOLDENEYED LACEWING, CHRYSOPA OCULATA

Author
item Chauhan, Kamlesh
item Levi, Victor
item Aldrich, Jeffrey
item ZHANG, QING-HE - STERLING INTERNATIONAL

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/26/2007
Publication Date: 12/1/2007
Citation: Chauhan, K.R., Levi, V., Zhang, Q.-H., Aldrich, J.R. 2007. Female goldeneyed lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Chrysopa oculata) approach but seldom enter traps baited with the male-produced compound, iridodial. Journal of Economic Entolmology. 100:1751-1755.

Interpretive Summary: Resistance to insecticides is increasing, and the use of insecticides for pest management is less desirable than biological control. Although predatory insects known as green lacewings are the number one commercially available predatory insect, only the eggs are sold and there is no tool available for attracting or retaining adult lacewings in the field. An attractant (pheromone) was identified and synthesized for certain adult lacewings (in the genus Chrysopa). The present results show that both sexes of the goldeneyed lacewing (Chrysopa oculata) are attracted to the male-produced pheromone, and that female lacewings lay eggs in the vicinity of artificial pheromone lures. This information is already being used for development of a commercial lure for lacewings. Customers for this biological control technique range from the home gardener to commercial organic farmers and conventional growers of crops that are susceptible damage from small soft-bodied insects.

Technical Abstract: 1R,2S,5S,8R-Iridodial was initially identified as male produced pheromone attracting male lacewings of Chrysopa oculata. Although antennae of males and females of the goldeneyed lacewings responded equally to synthetic iridodial, only males were captured in the traps containing pheromone in preliminary field evaluation. However with extended monitoring and experimental designs we could demonstrate that although female lacewings do not enter pheromone baited traps, they are attracted to and lay eggs nearby pheromone-impregnated lures. Thus iridodial alone or its combination with herbivore-induced plant volatiles may be of practical utility in manipulating natural or artificially augmented populations of lacewings for the biocontrol of aphids and related soft bodied insect pest.