Glimpses of Semiochemical Research Applications in Indian Horticulture 245
(Germar), pseudostem weevil, Odoiporus longi-
collis Olivier in banana; anar butterfly, Deudorix
isocrates (Fab.) and fruit sucking moth, Eudo-
cima spp in pomegranate; seed borer, Trymalitis
margarias Meyrick, chiku bud borer, Anarsia
achrasella Bradley, chiku moth, Nephopteryx
eugraphella Ragonot in sapota; codling moth,
Cydia pomonella in apple; Ber fruit borer, Meri-
darchis scyrodes Meyrick and ber fruit fly, Car-
pomyia vesuviana Costa in ber; fruit borer com-
plex viz., Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen),
Platepeplus aprobola Meyer, Dichocrosis sp., li-
tchi bug, Tessarotoma javanica Thumb in Litchi.
The MSW, S. mangiferae is monophagous to
mango and carries quarantine regulations. The
IPM strategies involve chemical as well as cultur-
al measures only to manage this pest so far. Info-
chemical research revealed that volatile odors sur-
rounding weevils, frass, and mango leaves were
chemically distinguishable through Gas chroma-
tography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (Andrew
2011 ). The compounds identified in weevil odors
were found to be of mango origin with varied lev-
els of relative abundance suggesting a sequestra-
tion by the weevils and a possible role in chemi-
cal communication. The behavioral experiments
further demonstrated that weevils are attracted to
conspecifics possibly through an actively released
aggregation pheromone. Nevertheless, role of phy-
to-semiochemicals have not been explored in this
monophagous pest. Studies on the semiochemistry
of closely related species S. frigidus (mango pulp
weevil) that is restricted to North east (NE) India
revealed that floral volatiles of Mangifera indica
L. (cv. Carabao) are attractive to adult weevils (De
Jesus et al. 2003 ). Further, a six component blend
of floral volatiles containing acetic acid (0.70 %),
decane (0.3 %), acetone (4.4 %), linalool (82.2 %),
ethyl benzoate (11.4 %), and 2-methyl heptenone
(1.0 %) elicited 70 % attraction response in S.
frigidus. This blend was better than each individ-
ual component. The hexane extract of 70-day-old
green “carabao” mango fruit yielded two active
fractions (fractions 5 and 6 at 4.6 mg and 11.7 mg
per kg. fruit, respectively) eliciting oviposition by
gravid female weevils. The fatty acids found in
the active fractions viz., myristic and oleic acids
elicited significantly higher oviposition response
(Averages of 5.7 and 4.0 eggs, respectively) com-
pared to all other treatments including the control
(average of 1.5 eggs) representing an important
step in the development of bait traps (de Jesus
et al. 2004 ). Similarly, in MSW, semiochemicals
involving either aggregation/sex pheromones or
plant kairomones appear to offer the best chance
of developing practical systems for orchard moni-
toring and may provide additional opportunities
for controlling this quarantine pest through mating
disruption or mass-trapping.
The stem borer, Batocera rufomaculata (Sub
family: Lamiinae, Family: Cerambycidae, Order:
Coleoptera), a longhorned beetle is increasingly
becoming a menace in older (> 10 years) mango
orchards across the country. It is highly polypha-
gous and about 50 host plant species of 18 dif-
ferent plant families are attacked (CABI 2007 ).
Several thousands of trees have been lost in the
last decade. The borer, a beetle of almost 4–5 cm
length, thought to be univoltine, lays eggs on the
main trunk of relatively older mango trees mainly
during monsoon season. The grubs bore and feed
on vascular tissues thereby interrupting nutrient
and water transport. The symptoms of damage
include active frass that shove out from infested
holes and sometimes sap oozing. Our observation
revealed existence of overlapping generations as
against previously thought and reinfestation of
already damaged trees (with fresh frass) are quite
common. There is a growing body of evidence
that hydrocarbons within the epicuticular wax
layer of females serve as contact pheromones,
and play important roles in the mating systems
of longhorned beetles (Ginzel and Hanks 2003 ;
Ginzel et al. 2006 ; Ginzel 2010 ; Spikes et al.
2010 ). Males from diverse subfamilies of the
Cerambycidae orient to females only after con-
tacting them with their antennae, suggesting that
males recognize potential mates by contact che-
moreception (Ginzel 2010 ). Nevertheless, these
signals have been identified already for several
species in the phylogenetically advanced sub-
families like Lamiinae (Ginzel 2010 ).
Further, long range mate location mediated by
pheromones has been documented in several sub
families of Cerambycidae including Lamiinae,
through both male-produced (Lacey et al. 2004 ;