β-Myrcene, a Potent Attractant Component of Pine Wood for the Pine Wood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Abstract

A new convenient assay method for nematode attractants was developed. Using this method, the attracting activity of volatile components in a pine, Pinus densiflora, was examined for the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, which causes serious damage to pine trees in Japan. Among the volatile components, β-myrcene showed the strongest attracting potency. This compound was assumed to play an important role in the transmigration of the nematode from the sawyer to the pine tree and for the movement of the nematode inside the pine wood.