Sex attractant for the banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer (Lepidoptera: Tineidae): provisional identification and field evaluation.
BACKGROUND
The banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer, is a polyphagous agricultural pest in many tropical areas of the world. The identification of an attractant for male O. sacchari could offer new methods for detection, study and control.


RESULTS
A compound extracted from female O. sacchari elicited responses from antennae of male moths. This compound was identified as a 2/3,(Z)13-octadecadienal by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. An analog, 2/3,(Z)13-octadecadienol, was also detected in some extracts at roughly a 1:20 ratio (alcohol:aldehyde) but did not elicit responses from antennae of male moths. Electroantennograms of synthetic candidate dienals found the strongest responses from (Z, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal and (E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal. In field trials, (E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal attracted more male O. sacchari than (Z, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal. Attraction was not improved for either of these compounds when the corresponding stereoisomeric alcohol was added at ratios of 1:1, 1:10 or 1:100 (alcohol:aldehyde). Jackson sticky traps containing 250 microg lures of (E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal caught as many males as did traps holding virgin females.


CONCLUSIONS
(E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal has been identified as an attractant for O. sacchari males and can be used as a monitoring lure of populations of this moth.
US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Hilo, HI, USA.
Eric B
EB
Jang
Matthew S
MS
Siderhurst
Robert G
RG
Hollingsworth
David N
DN
Showalter
Elisa J
EJ
Troyer
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
D012724:Sex Attractants