Researchers have been trying to find more effective means of controlling the invasive Asian Longhorned Beetles that have been costing taxpayers billions since their first detection in NYC in 1996. These beetles have a life cycle that revolves around deciduous trees, such as the already imperiled ash, elm, maple, and willow to name a few. These trees are popular in more urban areas where the beetles were possibly introduced through the import industry. Luckily, they've been found in mostly urban and suburban areas, but there is concern that they may find their way to our forests.
The researchers studied mate attraction as a possible means of pest control. The females will secrete a pheromone that attracts males to a tree, but repels virgin females. Even after mating, females will continue to produce this hormone to either encourage more suitors or simply keep their last one engaged, to ensure a successful copulation.
A chemist for the USDA was able to create a synthetic version of this pheromone, but I was unable to find anything stating whether it had been tested and if so, how effective it was compared to a natural secretion from a female.
Either way, this is promising news. This attractant could be used in conjunction with a biological control agent, such as a pathogenic fungus, in order to thin out the numbers in an area. Simply spray it on a tree along with some spores and wait for the males to come flying in. If those males did manage to find a receptive female before the infection got too far along, they would spread it to her and she would then spread it to any subsequent mates. Just like that, an epidemic would be going through the population.
For more information on the Asian Longhorned Beetles, check out the USDA's website dedicated to them.
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