Abstract

DOMINGUEZ-SANCHEZ, Bernardo; MACIAS-SAMANO, Jorge E.; RAMIREZ-MARCIAL, Neptalí  and  LEON-CORTES, Jorge L.. Kairomonal response of coleopterans associated with Dendroctonus frontalis and two Ips species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in forest of Chiapas, Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2008, vol.79, n.1, pp.175-183. ISSN 2007-8706.

We assessed the bark beetle diversity and the response of associated predators to aggregation pheromones in pine forests in Chiapas, Mexico. From June to October 2006, 40 Lindgren funnel traps were established with different baits that included frontalin, ipsenol and ipsdienol pheromones and a control (without pheromone). We registered the attractiveness of frontalin to the bark beetle Dendroctonus frontalis (Zimmermann), and ipsenol and ipsdienol to Ips spp. Kairomonal specific response of the predators Temnochila chlorodia (Mannerheim), Enoclerus ablusus (Barr) and Elacatis sp. was detected. We registered an important increase in abundance of bark beetles and predators during the summer to the beginning of fall. T. chlorodia exhibited differential attraction to the three pheromones evaluated, whereas E. ablusus, Elacatis sp. and Leptostylus sp. were significantly attracted to ipsenol and ipsdienol. This is the first report of kairomonal response of the phytophagous Leptostylus sp. (Cerambycidae) for México. Our results showed that inter-and intra-specific communication between different bark beetles and associated species may occur, which promotes competitive and predator interaction between them.

Keywords : chemical attraction; Dendroctonus; Ips; kairomonal response; natural enemies; Pinus forest.