IDENTIFICATION AND SYNTHESIS OF A-KAIROMONE INDUCING OVIPOSITION BY PARASITOID APHYTIS-MELINUS FROM CALIFORNIA RED SCALE COVERS

The parasitoid wasp Aphytis melinus uses a kairomone from the cover of its scale host, California red scale (Aonidiella aurantii), as an ovi position stimulant. The kairomone was isolated from extracts of scale covers, and identified as O-caffeoyltyrosine by a combination of spect roscopic methods. The kairomone was synthesized, and the synthetic com pound was determined to be as active as the chemical isolated from sca le covers.