VOLATILES OF THE POLYPORES FOMITOPSIS PINICOLA AND FOMES FOMENTARIUS AND THEIR FUNCTION AS ATTRACTANTS FOR INSECTS

Jenny FÄLDT*, Mats JONSELL-#, Göran NORDLANDER-# and Anna-Karin BORG-KARLSON
Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Royal Institute of Technology, S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden;
#- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Entomology, Box 7044, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden


Volatiles released from the fruiting bodies of the polypores Fomitopsis pinicola and Fomes fomentarius were collected by entrainment- (using Porapak Q) and SPME-techniques, and analyzed by GC-MS. The SPME method has the advantage of collecting volatile in being easy, quick and solventless.

The odour composition of the two polypores appeared to be species specific in the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon fraction. F. pinicola contained a few sesquiterpenes whereas F. fomentarius contained a more complex blend, with at least 20 sesquiterpenes.

In the active, sporulating phase, both (R)-and (S)-1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone and a number of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons increased in F. pinicola. In F. fomentarius 3-octanone, benzaldehyde and a wide number of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were found. However, in this species, the odour composition diflered between living fruiting bodies and chopped fruiting bodies.

Three host specific cisid beetles on F. pinicola were attracted to the odour of their host in a previous field study [1]. ln the present study, these species were not attracted to the generally occurring fur.gal vo,ati,es 1-octen-3-ol, 1-nonanol, 3octanol and 1-octanol. ln contrast, two unspecialized wood-living beetles were attracted to 1-octen-3-ol and to the four tested substances together.

Literature
  1. Jonsell, M. and Nordlander, G. 1995. Fieid attraction of Coleoptera to odours of the wood-decaying polypores Fomitopsis pinicola and Fomes fomentarius.: Ann. Zool. Fennici 32: 391-402.

Back to ISCE posters