The use of aggregation and anti-aggregation pheromones by spruce beetles has enabled the development of synthetic lures and repellants for monitoring and management purposes. However, the successful application of these tools across the spruce beetle’s large range may be stymied by geographic variation in the beetle’s response to and production of pheromone blends. Furthermore, a relative lack of published data on spruce beetle pheromone dynamics and regional pheromone variation may impede further research and the development of improved lures. Here I provide quantitative measurements of pheromone blends from spruce beetles obtained from numerous sites across Canada. I provide new evidence of geographic variation between the pheromone blends of beetles from eastern and western Canada, as well as within British Columbia and Alberta. I also show that feeding appears to be a prerequisite for pheromone production by spruce beetles, and that females transition from producing an aggregation pheromone... .
