Phytoparasitica (1986) 14, p. 161 (Dunkelblum et al.)

E. Dunkelblum, Y. Ben-Dov, Z. Goldschmidt, J.L. Wolk and Lila Somekh (1986)
Field bioassay of the sex pheromone (and some analogs) of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri
Phytoparasitica 14 (2), 161-161
2nd conference on agricultural entomology
Abstract: The sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) (Coccoidea; Pseudococcidae), was identified in 1981 as (+)-cis-(1R)-3-isopropenyl-2,2-dimethylcyclobutanemethanol acetate. Later a simple synthesis of the pheromone was developed at the Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, and the synthetic material was shown to be highly attractive to males in the field. In order to probe the structure-activity relationships. eight analogs of the pheromone were synthesized and field bioassayed. Most of them were significantly less active than the pheromone. The alcohol (+)-cis-{1R)-3-isopropenyl-2,2-dimethylcyclobataneethanol was ineffective as sex attractant. Since this compound is a side product in the pheromone synthesis, its influence on the activity of the pheromone was assessed in mixtures with the latter. Addition of 2-20% of the alcohol to the pheromone indicated that the compound is neither a synergist not an inhibitor. The most active analog was (+)-cis-(1R)-3-isopropenyl-2,2-dimethylcyclobutaneethanol acetate. At a concentration of 2000 µg/dispenser, its activity almost equaled that of the pheromone at a concentration of 500 µg.
It is concluded that all changes in the shape and electron distribution of the pheromone molecule resulted in a significant reduction of its biological activity. The most active analog retained all functional groups having the same polarity as the pheromone, with only a slight change in the molecular shape.
Database assignments for author(s): Yair Ben-Dov

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.
	Planococcus citri