USE OF ATTRACTANT AND REPELLENT SUBSTANCES TO CONTROL TOMICUS DESTRUENS (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE) IN PINUS PINEA AND P. PINASTER PINE FORESTS OF TUSCANY.

We report the results of a two-year study conducted in maritime pine and stone pine forests in Tuscany to test the efficacy of various substances in attracting or repelling adults of Tomicus destruens in the reproductive stage, i.e. while seeking trees or parts of trees suitable for reproduction. The attractants tested were: Tomowit, (-)- and (+)-!-pinene, racemic !−pinene, Mt-mix, trans-verbenole, “Destruens” and “Ipm”. The repellents used were: Green leaf volatiles (Glv’s, jans-2-hexen-1-ol), octanol (octanol-1-octanol), verbenone, alcohols C6 and C8, benzyl alcohol, (-)-#-pinene and racemic limonene. The most effective attractant was (-)-!−pinene, although bark-beetles were also caught with Tomowit and Ipm. As regards the repellents, logs protected with verbenone had the lowest level of attack, but this repellent lost its activity when combined with other substances.