Influence of pheromone chirality on response by Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Oryzaephilus mercator (Coleoptera: Cucujidae)

The response of the sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), and the merchant grain beetle, O. mercator (Fauvel), to synthetic racemic and chiral macrolide aggregation pheromones was assessed in pitfall olfactometers. O. mercator utilizes the R. enantiomers of (Z)-3-dodecen-11-olide and (Z,Z)-3,5-dodecadien-11-olide. O. surinamensis utilized the R enantiomers of (Z,Z)-3,6-dodecadien-11-olide and the synergist (Z,Z)-5,8-tetradecadien-13-olide in combination with achiral (Z,Z)-3,6-dodecadienolide. For both species, the racemates of the respective chiral pheromones were effective attractants.