ARS | Publication request: Sex Attractants of the Banana Moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer (Lepidoptera: Tineidae): Provisional Identification and Field Evaluation

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 21, 2009
Publication Date: March 1, 2010
Citation: Jang, E.B., Hollingsworth, R.G., Siderhurst, M.S., Showalter, D.N., Troyer, E.J. 2010. Sex Attractants of the Banana Moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer (Lepidoptera: Tineidae): Provisional Identification and Field Evaluation. Pest Management Science. 66: 454-460

Interpretive Summary: In this study we identified a chemical attractant for use in detection trapping of the banana moth in Hawaii. This insect is a pest of bananas, coffee, pineapple and potted plants. Until now there was no known attractants for this pest that could be used to detect it. We identified a “sex pheromone” a chemical that is released by the female moth to attract the male moth. The discovery of this attractant makes it now possible to more easily survey for this pest and conduct further research on its biology.

Technical Abstract: BACKGROUND: The banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer, is a ployphagous agricultural pest in many tropical areas of the world. The identification of an attractant for male O. sacchari could offer new methods for detection, study and control. RESULTS: A male electroantennographically active compound was extracted from female O. sacchari. This compound was identified as an (E/Z,Z)-2/3,13-octadecadienal by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. An electrophysiologically inactive analog, (E/Z,Z)-2/3,13-octadecadienol, was found to be present in roughly a 1:20 ration (alcohol/aldehyde). Electroantennograms of synthetic candidate dienals found the strongest responses from (Z-Z)-2,13-octadecadienal and (E-Z)-2,13-octadecadienal. In field trails, (E-Z)-2,13-octadecadienal attracted more male O. sacchari than (Z,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal. Attraction was not improved for either of these compounds when the corresponding steroisomeric alcohol was added at ratios of 1:1, 1:10 or 1:100 (alcohol/aldehyde). Jackson sticky traps containing 250 mg lures of (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal caught as many males as did traps holding virgin females. CONCLUSION: (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal lures can be used for monitoring and possibly for control of O. sacchari populations.