ARS | Publication request: Attractiveness of a Four-Component Pheromone Blend to Male Navel Orangeworm Moths

Submitted to: Journal of Chemical Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 29, 2010
Publication Date: May 16, 2010
Citation: Kanno, H., Kuenen, L.P., Klingler, K.A., Millar, J.G., Carde, R.T. 2010. Attractiveness of a Four-Component Pheromone Blend to Male Navel Orangeworm Moths. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 36:584-591.

Interpretive Summary: The recently identified four-component sex pheromone blend of the navel orangeworm moth was exhaustively tested in wind tunnel bioassays. Two compounds, the primary pheromone component, (Z11,Z13)-hexadecadienal, plus the new secondary pheromone component, (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)- tricosapentaene, were essential for eliciting upwind flight along the odor plume and landing on the odor source. Addition of either the (Z11,Z13)-hexadecadien-1-ol or (Z11,E13)-hexadecadien-1-ol, increased the proportion and rapidity of males landing on the odor source; a mixture of all four components elicited the highest levels of rapid source contact. Although all four components elicited the highest levels of source contacts the actual ratios of the three secondary components added to the primary component, (Z11,Z13)-hexadecadienal, did not have to be tightly controlled. Thus, an effective trap bait cold be made with less concern for the ratios of the pheromone components.

Technical Abstract: The attractiveness of the various combinations of the four component pheromone of the female navel orangeworm moth, Amyelois transitella, was measured in a wind-tunnel bioassay. Upwind flight along the pheromone plume and landing on the odor source required the simultaneous presence of two components, (Z11,Z13)-hexadecadienal and (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)- tricosapentaene. Addition of either (Z11,Z13)-hexadecadien-1-ol or (Z11,E13)-hexadecadien-1-ol to these two components increased the proportion and rapidity of males contacting the source, and a mixture of all four components produced the highest levels of rapid source contact. In this wind-tunnel assay, males did not seem to distinguish among a wide range of ratios of any of the three components added to (Z11,Z13)-hexadecadienal.