Submitted to: The Canadian Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 8, 2010
Publication Date: March 10, 2011
Citation: Guedot, C.N., Horton, D.R., Landolt, P.J. 2011. Response of summerform pear psylla (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) to male- and female-produced odors. The Canadian Entomologist. 143:245-253. Interpretive Summary: Pear psylla is a major pest of commercial pears in North America and Europe. Chemical attractants are needed for monitoring pear psylla as part of an integrated pest management program. Scientists at the USDA-ARS Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory examined the role of odorants in sex attraction. Pear psylla males were attracted to odorants emitted from females, confirming the presence of a female-specific sex attractant for males. Furthermore, males were not attracted or repelled by male-produced odorants. Pear psylla females did not respond to odors emitted by either females or males. These findings will aid inthe identification and development of sex attractants for trapping pear psylla in orchards.
Technical Abstract: We examined the role of chemical signals in sex attraction of pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), assessing response of summerform male and female psyllids to both male- and female-produced volatile chemicals. Male psyllids were attracted to odors from live females and pentane extracts of females. Extracts from females were at least as attractive to males as live females, suggesting that the female-produced volatile chemicals responsible for male attraction might be isolated by extracting females with pentane. Females were not attracted to odorants from live females and avoided odorants from extracts of females. Furthermore, summerform males and females were not attracted or repelled by male-produced odorants from live males or extracts of males. Results of olfactometer assays using male summerform C. pyricola are consistent with results from earlier studies with the winterform morphotype of this species.