title: Identification of trail pheromone of larva of eastern tent caterpillarMalacosoma americanum (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae).
abstract: Previous studies have shown that larvae of the eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum F.) mark trails, leading from their tent to feeding sites on host trees, with a pheromone secreted from the posterior tip of the abdominal sternum. 5β-Cholestane-3,24-dione (1) has been identified as an active component of the trail. The larvae have a threshold sensitivity to the pheromone of 10(-11) g/mm of trail. Several related compounds elicit the trail-following response. Two other species of tent caterpillars also responded positively to the pheromone in preliminary laboratory tests.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Division, DSIR, Petone, New Zealand.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crump
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Silverstein
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald