Byers, J.A. 1982. Male-specific conversion of the host plant
compound, myrcene, to the pheromone, (+)-ipsdienol, in
the bark beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis. Journal of
Chemical Ecology 8:363-371.
Abstract--
When both sexes of the bark beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), were
exposed to vapors of myrcene from ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa,
Laws), only the male produced (+)-ipsdienol. In the field, racemic
ipsdienol significantly reduced the attraction of both sexes in
flight to a mixture of myrcene and the aggregation pheromones,
exo-brevicomin and frontalin. This suggests that ipsdienol may be
involved in regulating colonization density of D. brevicomis. The
implications of the biosynthesis of various enantiomers of ipsdienol
by D. brevicomis and the cohabitating bark beetles, Ips paraconfusus
and I. pini, in relation to their behavioral responses are discussed
in regard to reducing interspecific competition.
Chemical Ecology