Abstract
Sex pheromones of European species of Lymantria, Euproctis, Stilpnotia, Orgyia, and Dasychira (Lymantriidae) have been cross-checked by recording male electroantennogram (EAG) responses to excised female pheromone glands. Within the same genus, there was invariably full reciprocity of the gland effects. Between different genera, however, in all species combinations investigated the males strongly preferred their own species. From this pattern it is concluded that the major pheromone constituents are different for the five genera. In accordance with these results, several species of Lymantria are either known or supposed to produce the same sexual attractant, cis-7,8-epoxy-2-methyloctadecane (disparlure), whereas for one species of Orgyia the sex pheromone was recently identified (Smith et al., Science 188, 63 [1975]) as cis-6-heneicosen-11-one. None of the additional lymantriid pheromones have yet been chemically defined. In EAG screening tests, some species of this family were specifically responsive to hydrocarbons related to cis-7,2-methylocta-decene, the olefinic precursor of disparlure.
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