Reproductive Biology of the Cigarette Beetle, Lasioderma serricorne. 1.1 Quantitative Laboratory Bioassay of the Female Sex Pheromone from Females of Different Ages2,3

Abstract

Pheromone quantities detectable by laboratory bioassay were obtained from 10- to 12-hour-old Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) adult females. Attractant production increased rapidly during the 1st few days of adult life, reached a maximum at 4–5 days of age, and declined thereafter. At peak production, the calculated 50% response level was 2✕104 female equivalents. The age at which maximum pheromone production occurred was coincident with maturation of the oldest ovarian follicles and the onset of sexual receptivity. Male response to the pheromone involved a sequence of discrete acts. Antennal elevation, leg extension, locomotion, and copulatory movements were successively elicited by exposure to increased quantities of pheromone.