Diabrotica barberi

The com rootworms Diabrotica barberi and D. virgijera were controUed in the U.S. com belt from 1954 to 1964 by soil appHcations of heptachlor and aldrin. A resistant race of the western com rootworm D. virgijera was first characterized in southeastern Nebraska in 1961 and spread rapidly throughout the entire com belt. Successive introductions of carbamate and organophosphate soil insecticides have increased the cost of com rootworm control from... 

The blossoms of Cucurbitaceae are well known to be highly attractive to many species of Diabrotica beetles. However, the volatile compounds that act as attractants differ in different Diabrotica species. Cinnamaldehyde strongly attracts the spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata hoivardi, whereas 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde is a specific attractant for the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera.51 The northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi, and Diabrotica cristata are attracted to eugenol, cinnamyl alcohol, and 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol. Volatiles of maize, one of the host plants, also attract D. v. virgifera... 

The Diabrotica spp. com rootworm beetles are specifically attracted to a variety of plant-produced phenylpropanoids, eg, ( )-cinnamaldehyde [14371-10-9] for the southern com rootworm D. undecimpunctata howardr, ( )-cinnamyl alcohol [4407-36-7] for the northern com rootworm D. barberi and indole [120-72-9] for the western com rootworm, D. virgifera virgifera. Especially powerflil lures for these rootworm beetles are 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol for the northern com rootworm and 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde [71277-11-7] (177) for the western com bootworm. 

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