ARS | Publication request: ATTRACTION OF THE EMERALD BEETLE, PROTAETIA PRYERI AND CARPENTER BEE, XYLOCOPA SONORINA, ON MIDWAY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 12, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Numerous compounds were tested on Sand Island, Midway Atoll, for attraction of an introduced scarab, Protaetia pryeri, given the common name "emerald beetle". We found that some compounds were highly attractive to carpenter bees, the primary pollinator on the island. Of several fruit based compounds, only tomato and banana captured even small numbers (7-15/day) of the emerald beetle and no carpenter bees were attracted. Leaf volatiles caught no beetles but up to 68 bees. A series of 12 attractants for other cetoniid beetles failed to attract the emerald beetle but many were highly attractive (50-154) to the bees. A series of car deodorants and perfumes was also more attractive to bees than beetles. Only one compound, L-Isoleucine Methyl Ester (LIME), was highly attractive to beetles (400+ in one day) and not attractive to carpenter bees. Trapping parameters for using LIME were explored.