Sq. Shu et Rl. Jones, EVIDENCE FOR A MULTICOMPONENT SEX-PHEROMONE IN ERIBORUS-TEREBRANS (GRAVENHORST) (HYM, ICHNEUMONIDAE), A LARVAL PARASITOID OF THE EUROPEAN CORN-BORER, Journal of chemical ecology, 19(11), 1993, pp. 2563-2576
Sex Pheromone activity of Eriborus terebrans (Gravenhorst) (Hymonopter
a: Ichneumonidae) was recovered from acetone rinses of flasks that pre
viously contained females. The acetone flask rinses elicited the follo
wing male responses: upwind anemotaxis, casting, hovering, landing, wi
ng-fanning, and mating attempts with other nearby males. Activity of t
he acetone flask rinse lasted up to four days on a glass substrate. Po
lar component and nonpolar components were demonstrated in the acetone
flask rinse. The polar component elicited male behavioral responses s
imilar to those by the acetone flask rinse, although retention of male
s at the pheromone source and the period of wing-fanning were of short
er duration. Chromatography data and chemical derivatization indicated
that the polar component had the properties of a carboxylic acid with
an additional oxygen-containing functional group. The nonpolar compon
ent acted as a synergist since it was inactive alone but increased mal
e behavioral responses when added to the polar component. Florisil ope
n column chromatography suggested that the nonpolar component was a hy
drocarbon(s).