Jon Sweeney and Peter Silk
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service

SERG Project #2002/01
Year of Project: 2004
Report Received: 2005

We have established a GC/EAD system for electrophysiological examination of insect extracts and volatiles. By SPME techniques, we have identified a polar but volatile compound from Tetropium cinnamopterum that equates by mass spectrometry to a C6–2,3-ketol or diol similar to that published for other Cerambycids.

Synthesis of some candidate compounds has been achieved and EAD analysis has revealed activity. These compounds are being presently synthesized by asymmetric routes for olfactometer testing in the laboratory and field testing in trapping protocols in Canada and Poland in 2005.

Female–specific contact pheromones have been tentatively identified in both T. fuscum and T. cinnamopterum. These are not volatile in nature and are C23-C27 compounds; their syntheses and bioassay is underway and results will soon be available.