Jared Steven Nielsen and Dr. Gary M. Booth, Philosophy
The boxelder bug, Boisea trivattatus, is a common structural and agricultural insect pest found throughout North America. Unfortunately, current pest management methods are not effective for controlling boxelder bug populations. If discovered and developed attractants would provide an effective and environmentally responsible solution to boxelder bug management.
As a member of the subfamily Rhopalinae, the boxelder bug is classified as a scentless plant bug. However, this is a gross mis-classification—boxelder bugs are remarkable natural product chemists. Several compounds have been isolated from various insect glands by Jeff Aldrich at the USDA-ARS Insect Hormone Laboratory. Insects often use chemical secretions to signal other insects. It is possible that these suspect semiochemicals could illicit an attractive response from the insect.
The behavioral response to each of the different compounds were tested in a Y-tube olfactometer bioassay. Charcoal filtered air was delivered slowly through the two mesh covered arms of the olfactometer located in a ventilation hood. 10 μl of the suspect semiochemical and 10μl of a water control were placed in different arms of the olfactometer. One insect was placed in the far end of the olfactometer and observed at regular intervals for two hours. The distance of the insect from the compound was recorded and plotted against time. The bioassay was repeated with both sexes.
No statistically significant trend or correlation was found to exist with the insects and any particular compound tested. However, a linear regression from forty trials with s-(-)- limonene suggest a possible attraction over the first 45 minutes from both sexes. Only further refined tests will be able to determine whether such a relationship exists.
References
- J.R. Aldrich, Chemical Ecology of the Heteroptera. Annual Review of Entomology 33 (1988) 211-38.
- J.R. Aldrich et al, Exocrine Secretions of Scentless Plant Bugs: Jadera, Boisea and Niesthrea species (Hemeptera: Heteroptera:
Rhopalidae). Biochemical Systemmatics and Ecology 18 (1990) 369-376.