Synthetic 3,5-Dimethyldodecanoic Acid Serves as a General Attractant for Multiple Species of Prionus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

ABSTRACT Males of the longhorned beetle Prionus californicus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are significantly attracted to the female-produced sex pheromone (3R,5S)-3,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid. Males respond equally well to the synthetic blend of the four stereoisomers of 3,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid as to the single natural enantiomer, suggesting that the unnatural isomers are not inhibitory. Males of the congener Prionus lecontei Lameere also are attracted to the (3R,5S)-enantiomer but not to the (3S,5R)-enantiomer, suggesting that the (3R,5S)-enantiomer is also an important pheromone component of that species. Here, we report the results of field trials that test the hypothesis that synthetic 3,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid will serve as a general attractant for males of other Prionus species. We conducted field bioassays of synthetic 3,5-dimethyldodecanoic acid at study sites in six different regions of North America and one site in the United Kingdom. Traps baited with the synthetic pheromone blen...