Communication ecology of webbing clothes moth: 4. Identification of male- and female-produced pheromones
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| Authors: | Takacs, S; Gries, G; Gries, R |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Journal: | Chemoecology 11: 153-159 |
| Title: | Communication ecology of webbing clothes moth: 4. Identification of male- and female-produced pheromones |
| Abstract: | We investigated the hypothesis that aggregation signals produced by male webbing clothes moths (WCM), Tineola bisselliella (Hum.) (Lepidoptera: Tineidae), and close-range male attractant signals produced by females have a pheromonal basis, at least in part. Gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometric analyses of bioactive methanolic extracts of male WCM disclosed three candidate pheromone components: hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (16:Ester), (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester (Z9-16:Ester), and octadecanoic acid methyl ester (18:Ester). In bioassay experiments in a large Plexiglas (TM) arena, a blend of synthetic 16:Ester plus Z9-16:Ester was attractive to male and virgin (but not mated) female WCM; the 18:Ester was inactive. GC-EAD analyses of pheromone gland extracts from female WCM revealed (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal (E2Z13-18:Ald) and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol (E2Z13-18:OH) as candidate sex pheromone components. In arena bioassay experiments, 1 - 5 female equivalents of synthetic E2Z13-18:Ald (0.2 ng) and E2Z13-18:OH (0.1 ng) were more attractive to male WCM than were two virgin female WCM. We anticipate that the combination of aggregation and sex pheromones, male-produced sonic aggregation signals, and habitat-derived semiochemicals will be highly effective in attracting male and female WCM to commercial traps. |
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