A special attraction: pheromones and semiochemicals
Technical note of edition 8 on a special attraction: pheromones and semiochemicals, with a focus on diagnosis, prevention and criteria applicable to professional pest management.
Semiochemicals are volatile chemical compounds that serve as intermediaries in interactions between organisms, triggering behavioral or physiological responses. In other words, it is the way that many insects communicate. This communication often plays a key role in ensuring the life cycle of the insect is fulfilled. The Semiochemicals in turn can be grouped into two large groups, the
Allelochemicals and Pheromones. This grouping will depend on the type of interaction, and may be intra or inter specific respectively. So, when we refer to Allelochemicals we are talking about substances that communicate to individuals of a species different from the species that emits them. Allelochemicals are subdivided into several groups depending on how this communication between the sender and the receiver influences. If the individual's response is adaptively favorable to the sender but not to the receiver, they are called Alomonas; If it is favorable to the receiver but not to the sender, we will call them Kairomonas; and finally, if it is favorable for both the sender and the receiver, they will be called Sinomonas. As for Pheromones (from the Greek phereum, to carry and horman, to excite or stimulate) they are substances released by a member of a species to cause a specific response in another member of the same species. Both within the Allelochemicals
As with Pheromones, it is sometimes useful to refer to chemicals as switches, attractants, repellents, deterrents. PHEROMONES CAN BE ADDITIONALLY CLASSIFIED BASED ON INTERMEDIATE ACTION, SUCH AS AN ALARM PHEROMONE, CONGREGATION (OR GROUPING), SEXUAL, ETC.
Summary scheme of Semiochemicals. The letter E represents the issuing body; the R to the receiver; the (+) a benefit and the (-) a detriment.
tives, stimulants or other descriptive terms to simplify identification. These terms can indicate what behavior is involved in the response such as a feeding stimulant or a flight deterrent.
WHY USE THEM? Insect sex pheromones and Kairomones are of particular interest to those who practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM). They have numerous advantages which we can exploit. They are not environmental contaminants, they reduce the pest population for long periods, they are easily used and manipulated for IPM whose bases are ecological, they have a low risk in handling the product and they have high specificity which provides precision in their application in monitoring and control. They are ideal for use in sensitive areas where there are restrictions on the use of certain insecticides. Furthermore, they do not cause resistance phenomena as occurs with the frequent use of chemical pesticides.
THESE COMPOUNDS CAN BE USED IN DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS: MONITORING OF POPULATION LEVELS, DELIMITATION OF INFESTED AREAS, IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS TO TREAT WITH INSECTICIDES, MONITORING OF THE PROGRESS OF CONTROL OPERATIONS, CONTROL BY THE METHOD OF SEXUAL CONFUSION OR INTERRUPTION OF COPULATION, TRAPPING AND CONTROL OF INSECTS BY THE BAIT TREE OR BAIT PLANT METHOD, LAST CALL METHOD, PROMOTE INSECTICIDES AND MASS CAPTURE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAPS.
Biodegradable pheromone trap.