The primary purpose of this project is to support the efforts of regulatory agencies to detect and prevent economically dangerous, s pecies of exotic wood-boring cerambycid beetles of asian origin…

The primary purpose of this project is to support the efforts of regulatory agencies to detect and prevent economically dangerous, s pecies of exotic wood-boring cerambycid beetles of asian origin from entering and becoming established in north america, including eradication of localized invasions. Activities will include aerating and extracting pheromone components from new target species for identification by GC-MS and GC-EAD methods, field testing the compounds for efficacy as well as further iterative field testing as needed to optimize operational parameters such as blend ratios and release rates. Target species include allotraeus asiaticus, batocera horsfieldi, psacothea hilarus, semanotus SPP., callidiellum SPP., xylotrechus SPP, chlorophorus SPP, demonax SPP., perissus SPP., rhaphuma SPP. And any other species deemed high-risk for potential introduction to the US. Deliverables will include the identities of powerful attractant pheromones for target species, efficient methods of synthesis of the pheromones, and optimized protocols for their practical use in ongoing invasive species surveillance and control programs. Trapping assays and volatile collections will be performed in northern vietnam as well as southern china. Efforts will support efforts of USDA-aphis, and other collaborating federal, state and local agencies, to provide early detection tools for these potentially invasive woodborers. Collaborative work funded through sub-agreements by this work will be conducted by researchers in anhui province and at guangxi university.