Identification of novel sex pheromone components from a tussock moth, Euproctis pulverea

Abstract

AbstractTwo EAG‐active compounds were found in the solvent extract of abdominal tips of virgin females of the tussock moth Euproctis pulverea (Leech) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), and identified as (Z,Z,Z)‐11,14,17‐icosatrienyl isobutyrate and (Z,Z,Z)‐11,14,17‐icosatrienyl 4‐methylvalerate at 190 and 80 ng female−1, respectively, by means of GC‐MS analyses and chemical derivatization. Esters of n‐butyric acid, n‐valeric acid, n‐hexanoic acid and a methylheptanoic acid were also found at 3, 2, 0.4 and 9 ng female−1 as minor EAG‐inactive compounds. Two active compounds were also detected in the hexane extract of female anal tufts at 17 and 6 ng female−1, respectively. In Okinawa, the binary blend of the synthetic compounds attracted male moths to the sticky traps, but single compounds did not. The significance of these findings in relation to parasitism by Telenomus euproctidis (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is discussed.