Identification of the female-produced sex pheromone of Tischeria ekebladella, an oak leafmining moth.
The native leafmining moth Tischeria ekebladella (Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae) feeds on oaks and recently has become a pest of silviculture and urban green areas in central Europe. The behavioral responses of male moths to hexane extracts of whole bodies of calling females or males were tested under laboratory conditions. Only extracts of females elicited responses from males. Analysis of extracts by coupled gas chromatography/electroantennographic detection revealed the presence of two electroantennogram-active peaks. Structure elucidation of these compounds, by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry and independent synthesis revealed them to be (3Z,6Z,9Z)-tricosa-3,6,9-triene and (3Z,6Z,9Z,19Z)-tricosa-3,6,9,19-tetraene. While the triene was present in both sexes, the tetraene was female-specific. The latter is a new structure for a pheromone component of Lepidoptera and a novel natural product. Field trapping tests, carried out in a mixed oak forest near Budapest (Hungary), using synthetic compounds applied to rubber dispensers, showed that the tetraene per se elicited catches of males in large numbers. When the triene was added to the tetraene in a ratio of 1:1, there was no increase in trap catch; the triene alone did not elicit catches of males. For monitoring this insect, the tetraene, applied to rubber dispensers at a dose of 300 μg, is a potent sex attractant.
Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest Pf 102, 1525, Hungary.
Béla Péter
BP
Molnár
Armin
A
Tröger
Theodora B
TB
Toshova
Mitko
M
Subchev
Erik J
EJ
van Nieukerken
J C Sjaak
JC
Koster
Gábor
G
Szőcs
Miklós
M
Tóth
Wittko
W
Francke
D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects
D012724:Sex Attractants