INHIBITION OF SEX-PHEROMONE PRODUCTION IN FEMALE LEPIDOPTERAN MOTHS BY 2-HALOFATTY ACIDS

Inhibition of ses pheromone production has been observed after topical treatment of pheromonal glands with DMSO solutions of 2-bromohexadeca noic acid, in three lepidopteran insects: Spodoptera littoralis, Thaum otopoea pityocampa, and Bombyx mori. It has been shown that this effec t was brought about by action on the reductases and acetyltransferases of the final steps of the pheromones biosynthesis. Other halo-fatty a cids, such as 2-flouro- and 2-chlorohexadecanoic acids, were less acti ve than tile above bromoderivitive whereas 2-bromotetradecanoic acid a nd 2-bromooctanoic acid exhibited activities quite comparable to the C -IG bromoacid. These results indicate that bromosubstitution is very i mportant for this inhibitory action and chain length is of secondary i mportance.