Isolation and identification of terpenoid sex pheromone components from extracts of hemolymph of males of the Caribbean fruit fly

Extracts obtained from hemolymph of sexually mature males of the Caribbean fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa contained four biologically important terpeno id components of the sex pheromone. The four components were identified as farnesene, bisabolene, anastrephin, and epianastrepin based on their relati ve retention indexes from capillary gas chromatography analysis, using both apolar and polar phase columns and their chemical ionization (isobutane) m ass spectra. The ratio of the components in extracts of hemolymph was the s ame as the ratio present in the volatile blend of pheromone released by sex ually mature males during the reproductive period. Studies conducted to det ermine the effect of age on amounts of these components in hemolymph indica ted that they increased from undetectable levels on the day of adult emerge nce to maximum levels on day eight. The increases in amounts of the compone nts present in hemolymph with increasing age were correlated with increases in amounts of volatile pheromone released by males. Time of day studies sh owed that the amounts of these components in hemolymph followed the daily p attern of release of volatile pheromone components. Other components of the sex pheromone including ocimene, (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol, (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadien-1-ol and suspensolide were not found in extracts of hemolymph. The data suggest that the hemolymph plays a role in the transport of these pheromone compon ents during sexual signalling. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 42:225-232, 1 999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.dagger