Both the squash bug Anasa tristis and horned squash bug Anasa armigera are attracted to vittatalactone, the aggregation pheromone of striped cucumber beetle

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

5:06 PM – 5:18 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 213

Presenting Author(s)

Donald C. Weber

.
USDA-ARS
Beltsville, Maryland

Co-Author(s)

Ariela I. Haber

Postdoctoral Researcher
USDA-ARS
College Park, Maryland
KP

Kayla Pasteur

USDA-ARS
Beltsville, Maryland
Sean M. Boyle

Post Doctoral Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
Sykesville, Maryland
Tom P. Kuhar

Professor
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
MC

Mary Cornelius

USDA-ARS
Beltsville, Maryland

Vittatalactone, the aggregation pheromone of the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is attractive to two species of squash bugs (Hemiptera: Coreidae), the squash bug Anasa tristis (DeGeer) and horned squash bug Anasa armigera (Say). In field trapping experiments in Maryland and Virginia, clear sticky traps baited with 1mg of synthetic mixed vittatalactone captured ~9x more of female A. tristis and of both sexes of A. armigera, whereas male A. tristis were not significantly attracted, compared to unbaited traps. Anasa armigera showed a distinct dose response to vittatalactone lure loading in the late season, and this species was more attracted than A. tristis, based on comparison to captures from wooden boards emplaced in adjacent fields. Results suggest that vittatalactone could be a “keystone semiochemical” in colonization of cucurbit hosts by specialist herbivores, and may offer the opportunity for multi-species behavioral control as a component of integrated pest management in cucurbit crops.