NATURE AND ROLE OF SEXUAL PHEROMONES EMITTED BY MALES OF ACROLEPIOPSIS-ASSECTELLA (LEP)

Seven compounds that do not exist in the extracts from legs of males h ave been isolated in the hair-pencil extracts of male Acrolepiopsis as sectella. By combining techniques of GC-MS and GC-FF-IR, six of these compounds have been identified. They are six n-alkanes: hexadecane (C- 16), heptadecane (C-17), octadecane (C18), nonadecane (C19), eicosane (C20), and heneicosane (C21). Twelve n-alkanes of the homologous serie s, from the C-14-C25 compounds were presented to virgin females, mated females, and males. At the end of the scotophase, four of the n-alkan es (C-16, C-17, C19, C21) present in the hair-pencil extract induced t he virgin females to adopt the acceptance posture after having induced the virgin females to remain stationary. The two other n-alkanes (C18 and C20) present in the extract have less effect on the females simil ar to the n-alkanes not present in the males. The blends tested do not seem to indicate any synergy between the most active compounds. The t hree n-alkanes with an odd number of carbons and the C16 compound woul d thus be the principle components of the male pheromone of A. assecte lla. As well as their role of female aphrodisiac, they tend to make ma les and fertilized females flee.