SEX-PHEROMONE OF TOMATO PEST SCROBIPALPULOIDES ABSOLUTA (LEPIDOPTERA,GELECHIIDAE)

The sex attractant of Scrobipalpuloides absoluta females is a 90:10 mi xture of (3E,8Z,11Z)-3,8,11-tetradecatrien-1-yl acetate and (3E,8Z)-3, 8-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate. Tetradecadienyl acetates bearing 8Z,11Z; 3E,8Z; and 3E,11Z double bonds were synthesized by stereospecific pro cedures; the mass spectral and gas chromatographic properties of the 3 E,8Z isomer were found to be congruent with those of the tetradecadien yl acetate from S. absoluta. In wind tunnel bioassays, a 10:1 mixture of synthetic (3E,8Z,11Z)3,8,11-tetradecatrien-1-yl acetate and (3E,8Z) -3,8-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate was highly attractive to S. absoluta m ales. Interestingly, the presence of (8Z, 11Z)-8,11-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate (10%) inhibited the response to (3E,8Z,11Z)-3,8,11-tetradecat rien-1-yl acetate completely.