BACKGROUND: Agrilus bigutattus (Fabricius) is a forest pest of increasing importance in the United Kingdom. The larvae damage weakened native oaks and are thought to contribute to premature tree death. Suspected links with acute oak decline (AOD) are not yet confirmed, but AOD‐predisposed trees appear to become more susceptible to A. biguttatus attack. Thus, management may be necessary for control of this insect. To explore the possibility of monitoring beetle populations by baited traps, the host tree volatiles regulating A. biguttatus–oak interactions were studied.RESULTS: Biologically active volatile organic compounds in dynamic headspace extracts of oak foliage and bark were identified initially by coupled gas chromatography–electroantennography (GC‐EAG) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), and the structures were confirmed by GC coinjection with authentic compounds. Of two synthetic blends of these compounds comprising the active leaf volatiles, the simpler one containing three components evoked strongly positive behavioural responses in four‐arm olfactometer tests with virgin females and males, although fresh leaf material was more efficient than the blend. The other blend, comprising a five‐component mixture made up of bark volatiles, proved to be as behaviourally active for gravid females as bark tissue.CONCLUSIONS: These initial results on A. biguttatus chemical ecology reveal aspects of the role of attractive tree volatiles in the host‐finding of beetles and underpin the development of semiochemically based surveillance strategies for this forest insect. © 2015 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Cereal aphids, Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi , cause severe yield loss in wheat crops as a consequence of direct feeding damage and acting as vectors for Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV). Insecticides have commonly been used to control these pests, but the advent of insecticide resistance spreading across aphid populations and the push to reduce insecticide use means that new approaches to control aphid populations are required. Wheat varieties with metabolite‐based aphid resistance have been identified, suggesting that they could be developed as an alternative to insecticides. Resistance induced by natural products (metabolites) include volatile organic compound‐mediated (antixenotic) and development‐modifying (antibiotic) processes. Full characterisation of these resistance mechanisms is still required, and associated challenges, such as the influence of biotic and abiotic interactions, need to be addressed prior to their implementation into integrated pest management (IPM) or engineered into modern elite wheats. In this review, current literature on metabolite‐based S. avenae and R. padi resistance in wheat is discussed, outlining current knowledge gaps and challenges, and highlighting the future work required. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.