AGGREGATION PHEROMONE IN THE RUSTY GRAIN BEETLE, CRYPTOLESTES-FERRUGINEUS (COLEOPTERA, CUCUJIDAE)

An open arena, airflow olfactometer was developed and used to test the response of adult Cyrptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) to various volatile stimuli. Beetles of mixed age and sex oriented positively upwind to the odor of beetles, frass, pentane extracts of frass, and pentane extracts of Porapak Q-captured volatiles from beetles or frass. Both sexes responded to the odor of beetle populations of mixed sex as well as to the odor of males, indicating that males produce a true population aggregation pheromone. Only females responded to the odor of females. C. ferrugineus may utilize the aggregation pheromone in conjunction with fungal odors to locate suitable habitats. © 1979, Entomological Society of Canada. All rights reserved.