title: Sex pheromone of the western hemlock looper,Lambdina fiscellaria lugubrosa (Hulst) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).
abstract: The sex pheromone of the western hemlock looper (WHL),Lambdina fiscellaria lugubrosa (Hulst), comprises three methylated hydrocarbons: 5,11-dimethylheptadecane (5,11), 2,5-dimethylheptadecane (2,5), and 7-methylheptadecane (7). Compounds extracted from female pheromone glands were identified by coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic (GC-EAD) analysis and coupled GC-mass spectroscopy in selected ion monitoring mode. In trapping experiments, (5,11) alone attracted male moths, but addition of either (7) or (2,5) significantly enhanced attraction. (5,11) combined with both (7) and (2,5) was significantly most attractive. (5,11) and (2,5) are also sex pheromone components of the eastern hemlock looper (EHL),Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Guen.). Although (7) is produced by the EHL, it is a pheromone component only in the WHL. It constitutes the first behaviorally active monomethyl-branched hydrocarbon to be found in a geometrid and is a novel lepidopteran sex pheromone component. The different 2- versus 3-component sex pheromone supports taxonomic division of EHL and WHL.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Pest Management, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gries
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gries
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Krannitz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Slessor
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Borden
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Bowers
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Underhill