2 present address: Cornell University, Dept. of Chemistry,Baker Laboratory Ithaca New York 14853-1301, USA
3 Center for Pest Management, Dept. of Biological Sciences,Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
RECENT RESULTS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF BARK BEETLE PHEROMONES.
Wittko Francke, Birgit Schilling1, Frank Schröder2and Gerhard Gries3
1 Institut für Organische Chemie Martin-Luther-King-Platz6, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
2 present address: Cornell University, Dept. of Chemistry,Baker Laboratory Ithaca New York 14853-1301, USA
3 Center for Pest Management, Dept. of Biological Sciences,Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
What happens to bark beetle pheromone componentsafter they have been released into the environment? Under the influenceof light and oxygen terpenoid pheromones undergo various reactions likeoxidation, allylic rearrangements, photocyclisation, ring opening or polymerisation.Our investigations may help identify the structures of some hitherto unknownterpenoids which occur in bark beetles. Under physiological conditionsmales of the mountain bark beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, producebrevicomin and subsequently transform it to an array of oxygenated derivatives.Structure elucidation and synthesis of bicyclic acetals will be describedto facilitate the identification of new bark beetle pheromone components.Some results in predator-prey relationships will be discussed.