title: Novel components of the sex pheromones produced by emerald moths: identification, synthesis, and field evaluation.
abstract: The subfamily Geometrinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) includes many species called emerald moths. Based on our recent finding of novel polyenyl compounds, including a double bond at the 12-position from two geometrine species, Hemithea tritonaria and Thalassodes immissaria intaminata, (6Z,9Z,12Z)-6,9,12-trienes and (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z)-3,6,9,12-tetraenes with a C(17)-C(20) straight chain were synthesized and analyzed by GC-MS. The 6,9,12-trienes, which were prepared by a double Wittig reaction between two alkanals and an ylide derived from (Z)-1,6-diiodo-3-hexene, characteristically produced fragment ions at m/z 79, 150, and M-98. The 3,6,9,12-tetraenes, which were prepared by a coupling between (Z)-3-alkenal and an ylide derived from (3Z,6Z)-1-iodo-3,6-nonadiene, showed fragment ions at m/z 79, 148, and M-96. These diagnostic ions were useful to distinguish these compounds from other known polyenyl pheromones, such as 4,6,9- and 6,9,11-trienes and 1,3,6,9-tetraenes. With reference to the GC-MS data, pheromone extracts of other species in Geometrinae inhabiting the Iriomote Islands were analyzed, and the 6,9,12-trienes were identified in the pheromone gland extracts of Pamphlebia rubrolimbraria rubrolimbraria and Maxates versicauda microptera. Furthermore, a field evaluation of the synthetic polyenes in a mixed forest of Tokyo revealed the following new male attractants for emerald moths: Idiochlora ussuriaria by a C(17) 6,9,12-triene and Jodis lactearia by a C(20) 3,6,9,12-tetraene, indicating the characteristic chemical structures of Geometrinae pheromones. On the other hand, through reexamination of the pheromone extract of H. tritonaria, (3E,6E)-α-farnesene was identified as an electrophysiologically active component in addition to the C(17) 6,9,12-triene. The binary mixture attracted more males than the single component lure baited with the triene in the Iriomote Islands.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: Nguyen Duc
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinjo
authors.forename: Yoshie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009036:Moths / Q000378:metabolism*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants