Sex pheromone components of pink gypsy moth, Lymantria mathura

Pheromone extract of female pink gypsy moth, Lymantria mathura, was analyze d by coupled gas chromatographic-electroantenno-graphic detection (GC-EAD) and coupled CC-mass spectrometry (MS), employing fused silica columns coate d with DB-5, DB-210, or DB-23 and a custom-made GC column that separated en antiomers of unsaturated epoxides. These analyses revealed (9R, 10S)-cis-9, 10-epoxy-Z3,Z6-nonadecadiene [termed here (+)-mathuralure] and (9S, 10R)-ci s-9,10-epoxy-Z3,Z6-nonadecadiene [termed here (-)-mathuralure] at a 1:4 rat io as major candidate pheromone components. In field experiments in norther n Japan (Morioka, Iwate Prefecture and Bibai, Hokkaido Prefecture), (+)- an d (-)-mathuralure at a ratio of 1:4, but not 1:1 or singly, were attractive to male L. mathura. This is the first demonstration that attraction of mal e moths required the very same ratio of pheromone enantiomers as produced b y conspecific females. Whether L, mathura employ different blend ratios in different geographic areas, and the role of five additional candidate phero mone components identified in this study remains to be investigated.