Evaluation of pheromone co-attractants for capturing Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (F.), poses a significant threat to food storage, tobacco industries, and herbaria. The development of effective trapping methods with efficient lures is crucial for promptly monitoring this species and exploring potential mass trapping programs. The study aims to examine the potential synergistic effect of combining the synthetic sex pheromone (serricornin) with a blend of α-ionone and β-ionone as an attractant for the cigarette beetle, with the purpose of determining the capture potential of female individuals and exploring an increase in male response. Both laboratory dual-choice arena bioassays and field trap tests were conducted to assess the effectiveness of this attractant combination. The bioassays were performed in Plexiglas cages with traps baited with serricornin, α-ionone, and β-ionone. Field trap tests were conducted in a bakery plant, comparing pheromone traps with a mixture of α-ionone and β-ionone to pheromone traps lured with β-ionone alone. On the one hand, the results of the laboratory bioassays showed that traps with serricornin supplemented with a combination of α-ionone and β-ionone captured a significantly higher number of beetles compared to traps with serricornin alone. The same trend was observed for both males and females. On the other hand, field trap tests, while capturing more individuals with the combined attractant, did not show statistical significance compared to traps with only β-ionone. The study concludes that the combination of serricornin with α-ionone and β-ionone shows promise as an attractant for L. serricorne, as evidenced by significant captures in laboratory bioassays. However, the transition to field conditions reveals a need for further exploration and optimization to fill the observed gap between controlled and real-world settings.