Chemoecology (2004) 14, 95-100

Regine Gries, Aurélia Reckziegel, Herman Bogenschütz, Hans-Günter Kontzog, Christian Schlegel, Wittko Francke, Jocelyn G. Millar and Gerhard Gries (2004)
(Z,Z)-11,13-Hexadecadienyl acetate and (Z,E)-11,13,15-hexadecatrienyl acetate: synergistic sex pheromone components of oak processionary moth, Thaumetopoea processionea (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae)
Chemoecology 14 (2), 95-100
Abstract: Our objective was to identify sex pheromone components of the oak processionary moth, Thaumetopoea processionea (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae), whose larvae defoliate oak, Quercus spp., forests in Eurasia and impact human health. Coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometric (MS) analyses of pheromone gland extract of female T. processionea revealed two consistently EAD-active compounds. They were identified as (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienyl acetate (Z11,Z13-16:OAc) and (Z,E)-11,13,15-hexadecatrienyl acetate (Z11,E13,15-16:OAc) by comparative GC, GC-MS and GC-EAD analyses of insect-produced compounds and authentic standards. In replicated field experiments (2000, 2001) in Nordbaden, Südbaden and Sachsen-Anhalt (Germany), Z11,Z13-16:OAc and Z11,E13,15-16:OAc in combination, but not singly, attracted significant numbers of male moths. It will now be intriguing to investigate whether Z11,E13,15-16:OAc, or its corresponding alcohol or aldehyde, serves as a pheromone component also in other species of the Thaumetopoeidae.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Gerhard Gries, Jocelyn G. Millar

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Thaumetopoea processionea	Oak (Quercus)	Germany