Abstract
The attractive principle responsible for aggregation of populations of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, consists of two insect-produced compounds, frontalin and trans-verbenol, and volatiles from host tree oleoresin. Response of field populations to the attractive principle as it emanated from host material containing adult beetles in various stages of feeding activity and reproductive states was correlated with pheromone content of dissected hindgut tissues of similar beetles through the use of gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). The pheromone components of the attractive principle, frontalin and trans-verbenol, were found in the largest quantities in emergent unfed females. Field bioassays of crushed beetles fed for various periods of time showed a decline in the quantities of these compounds. This finding was confirmed by GLC. After 48 hrs frontalin content of the hindguts was 29% of that of emergent females and trans-verbenol content was only 5% of that of emergent females. ...
Coster, Jack Eugene (1970). Certain aspects of pheromone release and aggregation behavior in the southern pine beetle (coleoptera: scolytidae). Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -177125.