title: Sex pheromone chemistry and field trapping studies of the elm spanworm Ennomos subsignaria (Hübner) (Lepidoptera:Geometridae).
abstract: The elm spanworm, Ennomos subsignaria (Hübner), occurs throughout Canada and the eastern United States and can be a destructive forest pest on a wide range of deciduous trees. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD) analysis of pheromone gland extracts, in combination with chemical synthesis and field trapping studies have identified (2S, 3R)-2-((Z)-oct-2'-enyl)-3-nonyl oxirane (hereafter Z6-9S, 10R-epoxy-19:H) as the female-produced sex pheromone. Significantly more male moths were captured between 1-100 microg loadings of this compound on red rubber septa in sticky traps compared to blank (unbaited) traps; catches then declined at higher dosages (500-1000 microg). The other isomeric enantiomer, (2R, 3S)-2-[(Z)-oct-2'-enyl]-3-nonyl oxirane (Z6-9R, 10S-epoxy-19:H), at a 10-microg dosage did not elicit trap capture. The likely precursor to the active epoxide, (Z, Z)-6, 9-nonadecadiene ((Z, Z)-6, 9-19:H), identified in virgin female sex pheromone glands, did not elicit trap capture either, and inhibited trap capture when combined with the active epoxide. Racemic 2-((Z)-oct-2'-enyl)-3-nonyl oxirane showed no significant difference in trap capture compared with Z6-9S, 10R-epoxy-19:H, indicating that the opposite enantiomer was not antagonistic. The addition of the EAD-active diene epoxide enantiomers (2S, 3R)-2-[(Z, Z)-octa-2', 5'-dienyl]-3-nonyl oxirane or (2R, 3S)-2-[(Z, Z)-octa-2', 5'-dienyl]-3-nonyl oxirane in admixture with Z6-9S, 10R-epoxy-19:H (at 10% of the latter) did not enhance or decrease trap capture compared to Z6-9S, 10R-epoxy-19:H oxirane alone, so they are not likely pheromone components. This pheromone, impregnated in rubber septa at less than 100-microg dosage, can now be used as a trap bait to develop detection and monitoring strategies for this insect.
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forest Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, Canada.
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ryall
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Silk
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lemay
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MaGee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D034403:Ulmus / Q000469:parasitology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants