EFFECTS OF HOST-PLANT, GOSSYPIUM-HIRSUTUM L, ON SEXUAL ATTRACTION OF CABBAGE-LOOPER MOTHS, TRICHOPLUSIA-NI (HUBNER) (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE)

Unmated female or male cabbage looper moths, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), were attracted more often in a flight tunnel to a cage with moths of the opposite sex and a bouquet of cotton foliage. Increased sexual att ractiveness of females with plants may be a result of stimulation of p heromone release in response to plant odor, since more males were attr acted when odor of cotton foliage was passed over females than when od or of females was passed over cotton foliage before venting into the f light tunnel. Increased sexual attractiveness of males with plants is due in part to host odor enhancement of female attraction to male pher omone, since more females were attracted to synthetic male pheromone ( a blend of enantiomers of linalool and isomers of cresol) and a cotton leaf extract than were attracted to male pheromone alone. A short syn thesis procedure was developed for (S)-(+)-linalool, the major compone nt of the male sex pheromone, isolated from hair pencils, used in thes e tests.