title: Sex pheromone of the scarab beetle Phyllophaga elenans and some intriguing minor components.
abstract: Three amino acid-derived compounds were identified in extracts from the pheromone glands of the scarab beetle Phyllophaga elenans, i.e., L-isoleucine methyl ester (LIME), N-formyl L-isoleucine methyl ester (For-LIME), and N-acetyl L-isoleucine methyl ester (Ac-LIME). The compounds were characterized from their spectral data (MS and IR), confirmed by synthesis, and their absolute configurations were assigned by gas chromatography with a chiral phase column. The amount of LIME in calling females was ca. 2 microg/gland, whereas only traces of For-LIME and Ac-LIME (0.005% of LIME) were detected in fresh extracts. Regardless of the storage temperature, the amounts of the minor constituents in the extracts increased overtime. Field tests showed that traps baited with For-LIME captured more beetles than control traps. Ac-LIME per se was not attractive, and it did not increase trap catches when combined with For-LIME. Traps baited with LIME caught ca. 150 beetles/trap/day, but catches did not increase with the addition of For-LIME and/or Ac-LIME in binary or tertiary blends.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA. wsleal@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Walter S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Allan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Oehlschlager
authors.forename: Paulo H G
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Zarbin
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Lilliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Romano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007532:Isoleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants; D007532:Isoleucine; C053773:isoleucine methyl ester