Response of the Pollen Beetle, Meligethes aeneus, to Traps Baited with Volatiles from Oilseed Rape, Brassica napus

The response of the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus, to yellow water traps baited with individual lures of 25 floral volatile compounds was studied in 17 field experiments. The compounds comprised seven nitrogenous amino acid derivatives, five nonnitrogenous amino acid derivatives, nine fatty acid derivatives, and four isoprenoids. Twenty compounds affected the trap catch of M. aeneus, but response was often dependent on release rate. Most compounds were attractive, but four fatty acid derivatives were repellent. 1-Hexanol was either attractive or repellent, depending on the release rate. It is suggested that M. aeneus responds to this large number of chemically diverse compounds because it is polyphagous.