11-hexadecenal and bombykal

Sex pheromones of nocturnal hawk moths have been identified previously, but not those of diurnal hawk moths. Here, we report laboratory analyses and field testing of the sex pheromone of the diurnal hawk moth, Hemaris affinis (Bremer 1861) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Sex pheromone glands were removed and extracted in hexane during peak calling activity of virgin female moths. Analysis of gland extracts by gas chromatography (GC) with electroantennographic detection revealed three components that elicited responses from male moth antennae. These components were identified, based on their mass spectra and retention indices on two GC columns, as (Z)-11-hexadecenal and (10E, 12Z)- and (10E,12E)-10,12-hexadecadienals with a ratio of 45:20:35. In a field experiment, traps baited with the three-component synthetic blend, but none of the single- or two-component blends, caught male moths. All three pheromone components have been identified previously in pheromones of other Lepidoptera, including Sphingid moths, and thus the ternary blend is probably responsible for the species specificity of the pheromone of this moth.

Topics: Aldehydes; Alkadienes; Animals; Chromatography, Gas; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Male; Moths; Sex Attractants

The aim of this study is to identify the pheromone active component of female moths, Diaphania glauculalis, an important pest of Anthocephalus chinensis in China. The sex pheromone was extracted from sex pheromone gland extracts of virgin female moth of D. glauculalis using n-hexane, and the pheromone gland extracts of females were analyzed using coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The sex pheromone active components were based on the comparison the retention time and mass spectrum, with suitable synthetic compounds. (E)-11-hexadecenal (E11-16:Ald) and (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienal (E10E12-16:Ald) were identified as the major sex pheromone components in the females. Their biological activities were evaluated in a series of electroantennogram (EAG) experiments and four-arm olfactometer assays using synthetic compounds. D. glauculalis males could be attracted by any single component, but a mixture of the E11-16:Ald and E10E12-16:Ald in a ratio of 5:5 elicited a substantial response, demonstrating that the binary blend is essential in male attraction. We therefore conclude that the aldehyde compounds, a mixture of E11-16:Ald and E10E12-16:Ald, comprise the sex pheromone components of D. glauculalis, which might be applied for insect field trapping.

Topics: Aldehydes; Alkadienes; Animals; Biological Assay; China; Chromatography, Gas; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Moths; Sex Attractants; Sexual Behavior, Animal