ARS | Publication request: Field Screening for Attractants of Scarab (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Pests in Hungary

Submitted to: Acta Phytopathologica and Entomolgica Hungarica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: August 20, 2003
Publication Date: January 8, 2004
Reprint URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10113/16309
Citation: Toth, M., Klein, M.G., Imrei, Z. 2004. Field Screening for Attractants of Scarab (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Pests in Hungary. Acta Phytopathologica and Entomolgica Hungarica. 38:323-331.

Interpretive Summary: Scarab beetles are serious pests of fruit and ornamental plants in Hungary and much of central Europe. Chemical pesticides are either not available, or are not environmentally acceptable, and attractants for use in trapping programs may offer an alternative. We identified a number of commercially available chemicals which were attractive to five different pest scarab beetles in Hungary. This information will provide scientists a good starting point to develop traps and lures to replace chemical insecticides used by nursery and orchard managers. These lures will also give the U.S. a first line of defense if any of these beetles should invade our country.

Technical Abstract: In field screening tests conducted on selected pest scarabaeids in Hungary, Epicometis (Tropinota) hirta (subfamily Cetoniinae) was attracted to traps baited with either cinnamyl alcohol or trans-anethol. In some tests attraction was also detected to phenethyl alcohol or cinnamyl acetate. In other tests, adults of Cetonia aurata aurata and Oxythyrea funesta (subfamily Cetoniinae) also were attracted to trans-anethol, while the ternary mixture of phenethyl propionate, eugenol and geraniol attracted Potosia cuprea (subfamily Cetoniinae). Some attraction of Valgus hemipterus (subfamily Valginae) to cinnamyl alcohol also was observed. All of the above species are pests of more or less economic importance in Hungary. The attractant chemicals discovered in the present study will form a starting point for the development of effective attractants for the respective pest scarab species.