Olfactory responses of Stegobium paniceum to different Chinese medicinal plant materials and component analysis of volatiles

Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) is among the major pests of stored products, causing great damage to stored Chinese medicinal plant materials (CMPMs) in China. Effective control strategies are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to explore the role of volatile organic compounds in the host preference of S. paniceum. First, the olfactory behavioral responses of S. paniceum adults to volatiles from four CMPMs (Panax notoginseng, Angelica sinensis, Gastrodia elata, and Peucedanum praeruptorum) were tested in Y-tube olfactometer experiments. Then, the volatile composition of these plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). S. paniceum showed significant preferences for volatiles from the four CMPMs, compared with clean air (CA). When S. paniceum was presented with choices among different CMPMs, it showed the strongest preference for P. notoginseng, followed by A. sinensis, then G. elata, and P. praeruptorum. GC-MS analysis identified 43, 34, 28 and 60 components in the volatile profiles of P. notoginseng, A. sinensis, G. elata, and P. praeruptorum, respectively. Falcarinol (14.4%), 3-n-butyl phthalide (78.7%), p-cresol (40.1%), and β-pinene (29.1%) were the most abundant components of the volatiles of P. notoginseng, A. sinensis, G. elata, and P. praeruptorum, respectively. The olfactory responses of S. paniceum to the four CMPMs demonstrated that host-related volatiles play an important role in the host-searching process by adult beetles. This information will be useful for the development of safe and effective trapping strategies for this pest.