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Title: INSECT CHEMICAL ECOLOGY

Author
item Aldrich, Jeffrey
item Bartelt, Robert
item Dickens, Joseph
item Knight, Alan
item Light, Douglas
item Tumlinson Iii, James

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2002
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: ALDRICH, J.R., BARTELT, R.J., DICKENS, J.C., KNIGHT, A.L., LIGHT, D.M., TUMLINSON III, J.H. 2003. INSECT CHEMICAL ECOLOGY RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE. PEST MANAG. SCI. 59: 777-787.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Discovery and development of environmentally safe chemicals to behaviorally manage insect pests and their natural enemies is the primary mission of ins chemical ecologists in the Agricultural Research Services. Here six ARS investigators summarized a variety of approaches to applied chemical ecolog gResearch on insect foramens has long been and important focus of this effo and foramens continue to be the cornerstone of insect behavioral manipulati as exemplified in section 2 below. The role of plants as signal sources guiding insects pests to find and accept potential hosts is also increasing being appreciated. Section 3 described the discovery of a plant volatile exploited by codling moths as a host-finding kairomone, and how this synthe kairomone id becoming part of the arsenal for management of the pest. In section 4, a plant attractant with potential for management of the Colorado opotato beetle is described and a series of studies are detailed showing th green left volatiles are common, if not ubiquitous, modulators of phytophag insect behavior. In the final section , the now substantial body of eviden is reviewed that shows insect attack biochemically induces plant to call parasitoids and predators to their defense-a third trophic level of plant protection beyond that once imagined by scientist.

Technical Abstract: Interpretive Summary of: "Insect Chemical Ecology", by Aldrich et al. The present invited chapter summarizing selected ARS research on insect chemical ecology was prepared for a forthcoming special issue of Pest Management Science devoted to ARS research. Contributions from authors represent some major ARS research in this discipline from four regions of the United States. Descriptions of research results include recent identification of attractants (i.e. pheromones) for important pest insects, the discovery application of a particular plant odorant to help manage an important pest (codling moth), documentation of the importance of so-called green leaf chemicals as synergists for insect-produced attractants and, finally, a thorough review is presented showing that insect attack induces plants to release chemicals attractive to natural enemies of the plant pests. In tot the chapter provides a summary of the development of the field of insect chemical ecology, and the involvement of ARS scientist in this field, which should be of interest to those concerned with the role of government resear in the overall national effort. In addition, specific recent results are presented which should be of interest to scientist working on insect chemic ecology.