Sex pheromone of Nearctic Agriotes mancus and its similarity to that of three Palearctic Agriotes invasive in North America

Abstract

The wheat wireworm, Agriotes mancus (Coleoptera: Elateridae), is a predominant elaterid pest species in the Nearctic region, with a life history and morphology similar to those of Agriotes obscurus, Agriotes lineatus and Agriotes sputator, three Palearctic pest elaterids invasive in North America. Here, we report the identification and field testing of the sex pheromone of A. mancus. We collected headspace volatiles from female beetles on Porapak Q, and analysed aliquots of Porapak extract by gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC‐EAD) and by GC‐mass spectrometry. In GC‐EAD recordings, two esters—geranyl butanoate and geranyl hexanoate—elicited antennal responses from A. mancus males. In field experiments, trap lures containing both geranyl butanoate and geranyl hexanoate afforded large captures of A. mancus males, which were—on average—approximately 30‐fold higher than captures in traps baited with a single ester. Traps baited with geranyl butanoate as a single‐component lure captured a significant number of Palearctic A. sputator, indicating the establishment of A. sputator in its invaded Nearctic range. With the A. mancus sex pheromone now known, it can be included in the development of pheromone‐based programmes to monitor and manage native and invasive Agriotes pests in North America.