ROSEFURAN - THE SEX-PHEROMONE OF AN ACARID MITE, CALOGLYPHUS SP

Rosefuran was identified as a female sex pheromone from an unnamed spe cies of acarid mite, Caloglyphus sp., whose phoretic hypopi had been c ollected from the elongated yellowish chafer, Heptophylla picea. Behav ior of sexually excited males was demonstrated by exposing them to dos es of 1-100 ng of synthetic rosefuran. The pheromone was present in fe males and also in males and was detected in trace amounts in nymphal s tages. Pheromone concentrations were estimated to be 87 +/- 14.2 ng pe r female and 10.4 +/- 2.5 ng per male. The quantitative difference bet ween sexes may allow males to discriminate females for purposes of mat ing.