Dissertation Research: The Role of Chirality in Olfactory- Directed Aggregation of Pine Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

IPS属的树皮甲虫产生和感知混合的信息素化合物。Ipsenol和Ipsdienol是两种信息素和异构体成分，它们的特异性可能指导不同亚属群共地物种对同一寄主松树资源的划分。Ipsdienol的立体化学对I.pini的聚集行为特别重要。由于雄性和雌性都对雄性产生的(-)-ipsdienol混合物产生反应，因此可以通过测量每个反应组的ipsdienol产量来直接测试反应的立体特异性和生产之间的联系。在共地物种I.paraconfusus中，单萜前体的存在或不存在可以描述哪些寄主可以被定植。利用GC-MS仪器和田间生物测定对松材线虫的聚集行为进行分析，将有助于加深对iPS化学生态学的了解，因为树皮甲虫是一种严重的森林害虫，是林业工作者非常感兴趣的课题。

Bark beetles in the genus Ips produce and perceive blends of pheromone compounds. Ipsenol and ipsdienol are two pheromone and allomone components whose specificity may guide resource partitioning of the same host pine by sympatric species in different subgeneric groups. The stereochemistry of ipsdienol is particularly crucial to the aggregation behavior of I. pini. Because both males and females respond to male-produced blends of (-)-ipsdienol, the link between the stereospecificity of response and production can be tested directly by measuring the production of ipsdienol for each response group. In the sympatric species I. paraconfusus, the presence or absence of monoterpene precursors may delineate which hosts can be colonized. The analysis of extract samples using GC-MS instrumentation and field bioassays on the aggregation behavior of I. pini will improve understanding of Ips chemical ecology, a subject of great interest to foresters since bark beetles are serious forest pests.