Volatiles from Carissa carandas fruits damaged by conspecifics attract chafer beetles, Protaetia alboguttata (Vigors)

The present study highlights the importance of herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) in attracting the cetoniid beetles, Protaetia alboguttata (Vigors) to ripe conspecific damaged Carissa carandas L.fruits. Olfactometer assays revealed that volatiles from damaged fruits are significantly attractive to the adult beetles of P. alboguttata. Gas chromatography electroantenno-detection studies revealed that presence of α-copaene and carvacryl acetate in the damaged C. carandas fruits that might be involved in guiding the adult P. alboguttata beetles to their host plants.