The insecticidal activity of five alkylfurans against the generalist insect
herbivore beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, was examined. Two naturally oc
curring compounds, the avocadofurans 2-(pentadecyl)furan (1) and 2-(heptade
cyl)furan (2), previously isolated from specialized avocado idioblast oil c
ells, and three homologues, 2-(tetradecyl)furan (3), 2-(hexadecyl)furan (4)
, and 2-(octadecyl)furan (5), were synthesized. Bioassays of alkylfurans 1-
5 using a 9-day diet-incorporation initiated with neonates showed that all
alkylfurans tested significantly increased S. exigua larval mortality and r
educed larval weights, with maximal biological activity detected among the
naturally occurring alkylfurans 1 and 2.