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Research article, 2005

Olfactory and visual stimuli used in orientation to conifer seedlings by the pine weevil, Hylobius abietis

Björklund, Niklas; Nordlander, Göran; Bylund, Helena

Abstract

The influence of noncontact plant cues is investigated on the likelihood that individual conifer seedlings will be found by walking adults of the pine weevil, Hylobius abietis, in the field. Traps with solely odour or solely visual stimuli catch significantly more weevils than stimulus-free traps, and traps with the combination of odour and visual stimuli catch more weevils than traps with odour or visual stimuli alone. There is essentially an additive effect between odour and visual stimuli. The reactions to odour and visual stimuli are similar for three phases of the pine weevil's life cycle associated with three ages of clear-cuttings (i.e. sites where all trees have been harvested). Visual stimuli appear to be at least as important as odour for the pine weevil in finding an undamaged conifer seedling.

Keywords

Curculionidae; host finding; host odour; Hylobius abietis; large pine weevil; olfactory stimuli; orientation; pitfall trap; stimulus interaction; visual

Published in

Physiological Entomology
2005, number: 30
Publisher: The Royal Entomological Society

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/123964