Extension of sustained pheromone release for monitoring an emerging invader, red-necked longicorn beetle Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

An emerging invader, the red-necked longicorn beetle Aromia bungii (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), has become a major pest of cherry blossom, peach, prune, and Japanese apricot in Japan. The synthetic aggregation-sex pheromone, (E)-2-cis-6,7-epoxynonenal, has been used as a chemical for their monitoring. The longevity of the current lure is, however, only one week. Unlike most Lepidopteran lures, it needs to be emitted in large amount of the pheromone emission for effective attraction. In this study, we surveyed chemical retention materials to determine which improving its longevity. The weights of 7 types of lures were measured for 2 or 3 weeks to determine the weight-loss. The pheromone emission from each lure tended to be correlated to the weight-loss. We analyzed the pheromone emissions from candidate lures for three weeks and compared them to the current lures. The current lure continued pheromone emission for 7 d, whereas the candidate lure continued for 14 d. In field trials, the candidate and current lures were both significantly attractive during the first week compared to the control. However, the candidate lure attracted the beetle to the same extent for over 14 d; its longevity was double that of the current lure, therefore, it could be useful for extended monitoring of this beetle.