Field Response of Male Pine Sawflies, Neodiprion sertifer (Diprionidae), to Sex Pheromone Analogs in Japan and Sweden

The pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer (Geoffroy) uses the acetate or propionate of (2 S ,3 S ,7 S )-3,7-dimethyl-2-pentadecanol (diprionol) as pheromone components, with the (2 S ,3 R ,7 R )-isomer being antagonistic, synergistic, or inactive according to the population tested. In this study, we tested the attraction of males to the acetates of three analogs of diprionol, each missing one methyl group, viz. (2 S ,7 S )-7-methyl-2-pentadecanol, (2 S ,6 S )-2,6-dimethyl-1-tetradecanol, and (2 S ,3 S )-3-methyl-2-pentadecanol. None of the analogs alone, or in combination with diprionol acetate, was attractive in Sweden, even at 100 times the amount of diprionol acetate attractive to N. sertifer . In Japan, the acetate of (2 S ,3 S )-3-methyl-2-pentadecanol attracted males when tested in amounts 10–20 times higher than the acetate pheromone component. The acetate esters of the (2 S ,3 R )-analog and the (2 S ,3 R ,7 R )-isomer of diprionol also were tested in combination with the pheromone compound (acetate ester). Both compounds caused an almost total trap-catch reduction in Sweden, whereas in Japan they appear to have relatively little effect on trap capture when added to diprionol acetate. Butyrate and iso -butyrate esters of diprionol were unattractive to N. sertifer in Sweden. In summary, there exists geographic variation in N. sertifer in responses to both diprionyl acetate and some of its analogs.