02330naa a2200289 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400290006010000180008924500970010726000090020450000710021352014900028465000160177465300140179065300230180465300300182770000160185770000120187370000190188570000140190470000140191870000170193270000160194970000180196577300570198310500892019-09-20       2012    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d7 a10.1155/2012/8684742DOI1 aGONZÁLEZ, A.  aA male aggregation pheromone in the bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Thaumastocoridae)  c2012  aArticle history: Received 11 January 2012; Accepted 27 April 2012.  aForest plantations inUruguay have doubled in the past decade, with Eucalyptus spp. leading this growth. The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), originally restricted to Australia, is an important emerging pest of Eucalyptus plantations in the Southern hemisphere. T. peregrinus feeds onmature Eucalyptus leaves, causing them to turn brown and often fall from the tree. Although population dynamics and behavioural patterns are not clearly understood, circumstantial observations suggest that males and nymphs aggregate. We used gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to analyze volatile organic compounds emitted by virgin males and females, and characterized a male-specific compound, 3-methylbut-2-enyl butanoate, based on mass spectral data and chromatographic comparison with a synthetic standard. We also performed Y-olfactometer bioassays to test the attraction of virgin males and females toward live virgin males, male volatile extracts, and synthetic 3-methylbut- 2-enyl butanoate. Males were attracted toward conspecific males, while virgin females showed no preference, suggesting that male volatiles are not involved in sexual communication. Further olfactometer tests showed that males were attracted to male volatile extracts and to synthetic 3-methylbut-2-enyl butanoate. The ecological significance of this compound and its potential use for the management of T. peregrinus in Eucalyptus forests will be further investigated.  aENTOMOLOGIA  aFEROMONAS  aPEST OF EUCALYPTUS  aTHAUMASTOCORIS PEREGRINUS1 aCALVO, M.V.1 aCAL, V.1 aHERNÁNDEZ, V.1 aDOÑO, F.1 aALVES, L.1 aGAMENARA, D.1 aROSSINI, C.1 aMARTÍNEZ, G.  tPsyche: A Journal of Entomology, 2012gv. 2012, 7 p.