SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF OAK VOLATILES WITH ETHANOL IN THE CAPTURE OF SAPROPHAGOUS WOOD BORERS

We tested the response of wood and phloem boring Coleoptera to traps baited with ethanol alone, and to ethanol baits augmented with oak logs. The logs provided a source of natural oak volatiles, and we hypothesized that these volatiles would increase attraction of borers to ethanol. Ethanol baited traps augmented with oak logs attracted 2.3 times more cerambycid adults than ethanol alone, and 4.9 times more cerambycids than logs alone. Logs alone were not attractive to Scolytidae, nor did they enhance attractiveness of ethanol alone to scolytids. Although many saprophagous wood and phloem feeding Coleoptera are attracted to ethanol, these results suggest that for some groups of borers, other tree emitted volatiles may also aid host location.