title: Identification of sex pheromone components of blueberry spanworm Itame argillacearia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).
abstract: Blueberry spanworm, Itame argillacearia (Packard), is an important defoliator of lowbush (syn. 'wild') blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton, in north-eastern North America. The goal of the present study was to identify the female I. argillacearia sex pheromone, which could be used in traps for monitoring or mass-trapping this pest. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and electroantennogram (EAG) recordings of sex pheromone gland extracts, in combination with chemical synthesis, a Y-tube olfactometer study and field experiments confirmed (2R,3S)-2-ethyl-3-((Z,Z)-tridecadi-2,5-enyl) oxirane (hereafter (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene) and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-heptadecatriene as female-produced sex pheromone components. (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-Epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene elicited a response from male I. argillacearia antennae during EAG recording, and in the Y-tube olfactometer tests males did not discriminate between a live female and (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene. Field-trapping experiments showed that a blend of (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-heptadecatriene was more attractive to male moths than (Z,Z)-(3R,4S)-3,4-epoxy-6,9-heptadecadiene alone.
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, P.O. 550, Truro, NS, B2N 5E3, Canada.
authors: E C A
authors: EC
authors: De Silva
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Silk
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Mayo
authors: N K
authors: NK
authors: Hillier
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Magee
authors: G C
authors: GC
authors: Cutler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants
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