Semiochemical attractants of Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, southern corn rootworm, and Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte, the western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

During the summers of 1984 and 1985, a variety of structurally related benzenoid compounds was evaluated in sweet corn plots as attractants for adult southern corn rootworms (SCR), western corn rootworms (WCR), and northern corn rootworms (NCR). Field response to the volatiles was measured by beetle counts on baited cylindrical sticky traps placed inside the corn plots at a height of 1 m above ground level. SCR adults were attracted late in the season (last week of August through September, 1984 and 1985) to numerous aromatic compounds, including phenylacetaldehyde, benzyl acetone, Phenethyl alcohol, phenyl acetate, indole, veratrole, methyl eugenol, methyl isoeugenol, eugenol, and isoeugenol. Although many compounds attracted SCR adults late in the season, only veratrole, phenylacetaldehyde, and chavicol were significantly active in early and middle August 1985.