Response of Male Clearwing Moths 1 to Caged Virgin Females, Female Extracts, and Synthetic Sex Attractants 23

Abstract

Virgin female clearwing moths (Sesiidae), Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) female extracts, and isomers of 3,13-octadecadien-1-ol acetate (ODDA) were evaluated for attractancy to male clearwings. Podosesia syringae (Harris) females attracted conspecific males and males in 3 other genera in 2 subfamilies, while S. pictipes females and female extracts attracted only conspecific males. ( Z,Z )-ODDA attracted significant numbers of 4 sesiid species, while a mixture of 3 isomers of this compound attracted large numbers of Sanninoidea exitiosa (Say). ( E,Z )-ODDA attracted only S. pictipes males. Sesiids may be especially vulnerable to manipulation by these highly attractive synthetic sex attractants because these moths are relatively scarce even at pest population density, and quite host specific.