FEEDING BEHAVIOUR OF THE PALES WEEVIL, HYLOBIUS PALES (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE): I. SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS WITH LOBLOLLY PINE PHLOEM EXTRACTS

Abstract A bioassay with elder pith wafers was developed to measure sustained feeding of the pales weevil, Hylobius pales (Herbst). Sucrose, fructose, glucose, and extracts of phloem of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were compared in three-choice experiments. Intensity of feeding indicated a synergistic effect occurred when sucrose and phloem lipid were present together. The non-polar or neutral lipid fraction of phloem stimulated more feeding than did the polar lipid fraction.