ABSOLUTE-CONFIGURATION OF SEX-PHEROMONE FOR TEA TUSSOCK MOTH, EUPROCTIS-PSEUDOCONSPERSA (STRAND) VIA SYNTHESIS OF (R)-10,14-DIMETHYL-1-PENTADECYL AND (S)-10,14-DIMETHYL-1-PENTADECYL ISOBUTYRATES

(R)- and (S)-10, 14-dimethyl-1-pentadecyl isobutyrates were synthesize d from (S)- and (R)-citronellols, respectively. The R enantiomer was a s active as the natural pheromone but the S enantiomer was less active in the electrophysiological analyses, which provided conclusive proof that the absolute configuration of the natural pheromone is R.