Agriotes proximus and A. lineatus (Coleoptera: Elateridae): a comparative study on the pheromone composition and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequence

The presence of geranyl octanoate, previously found in pheromone gland extracts of Agriotes lineatus females, was also demonstrated in gland extracts of A. proximus females. Similar to A. lineutus, geranyl butanoate was present only in trace amounts in A. proximus female gland extracts. In air entrainment samples of female A. lineutus and A. proximus beetles, the relative ratio of geranyl butanoate and geranyl octanoate was higher than that in gland extracts. In addition, comparison of a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene of feral specimens of A. lineatus and A. proximus showed >99% similarity. Both pheromone profile and nucleotide sequence analysis delineate close relationship between the investigated taxa and postulate taxonomic revision. Further studies on sympatric populations of A. lineatus and A. proximus are underway to investigate and better understand possible processes of species diversification.